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Enhanced Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Alumina-Based TiC Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering

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Abstract

Alumina composites incorporating with 0, 5, 10 15, 20, and 25 vol pct of TiC were consolidated by the spark plasma sintering at 1673 K (1400 °C). The effects of increasing TiC compositions on electrical and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated at room temperature. The dc electrical conductivity behavior demonstrates a transition from insulator to conductor around 12.5 vol pct of TiC in the framework of percolation theory. The conductivity attains a maximum value of ≈230 S/m at 25 vol pct of TiC sufficient to machine the composite by electro discharging machining. The Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the composites increase with the addition of TiC vol pct, whereas elastic modulus decreases. The results indicate that crack deflection, crack bridging, and crack branching by the TiC particles are responsible for the significantly improved fracture toughness of the composites.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Research Center, College of Engineering King Saud University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P.R. China

    Kaleem Ahmad (Visiting Scholar, Assistant Professor) & Wei Pan (Professor)

  2. Sustainable Energy Technologies Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11421, Saudi Arabia

    Kaleem Ahmad (Visiting Scholar, Assistant Professor)

Authors
  1. Kaleem Ahmad
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  2. Wei Pan
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Correspondence to Kaleem Ahmad.

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Manuscript submitted March 20, 2014.

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Ahmad, K., Pan, W. Enhanced Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Alumina-Based TiC Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering. Metall Mater Trans A 45, 6271–6276 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2550-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2550-4

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