Fabrication of SiCw/Ti3SiC2 composites with improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties using spark plasma sintering

High strength SiC whisker-reinforced Ti3SiC2composites(SiCw/Ti3SiC2) with an improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The bending strength of 10 wt% SiCw/Ti3SiC2was 635 MPa, which was approximately 50% higher than that of the monolithic Ti3SiC2(428 MPa). The Vickers hardness and thermal conductivity(k) also increased by 36% and 25%, respectively, from the monolithic Ti3SiC2by the incorporation of 10 wt% SiCw. This remarkable improvement both in mechanical and thermal properties was attributed to the fine-grained uniform composite microstructure along with the effects of incorporated SiCw. The SiCw/Ti3SiC2can be a feasible candidate for the in-core structural application in nuclear reactors due to the excellent mechanical and thermal properties.