Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of TiC x Powders Synthesized by SHS in Al/Fe/Cu-Ti-C Systems

Shenbao Jin; Haokai Su; Gang Sha

doi:10.3390/ma12244095

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of TiC _x Powders Synthesized by SHS in Al/Fe/Cu-Ti-C Systems

Materials (Basel). 2019 Dec 7;12(24):4095. doi: 10.3390/ma12244095.

Authors

Shenbao Jin¹, Haokai Su¹, Gang Sha¹

Affiliation

¹ Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.

Abstract

The stoichiometry of titanium carbide (TiC_x) particles is important in determining particle properties. Spherical TiC_x powders with particle sizes of 1-5 μm were produced by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) in 30 wt.% Al-, 30 wt.% Cu-, and 30 wt.% Fe-Ti-C systems, respectively. To measure the compositions of the carbide powders, atom probe tomography (APT) tip specimens were carefully prepared by using a focus ion-beam milling method. APT analysis revealed that the TiC_x particles formed in Al-, Cu-, and Fe-Ti-C systems are highly substoichiometric. The results are consistent with observations of the TiC_x particles with a high content of oxygen and a certain amount of secondary metallic elements (Al, Cu, and Fe).

Keywords: atom probe tomography; self-propagating high-temperature synthesis; stoichiometry; titanium carbide.

Grants and funding

51571120/National Natural Science Foundation of China