Processing and Mechanical Properties of Ti 3 SiC 2 : II, Effect of Grain Size and Deformation Temperature

In this article, the second part of a two‐part study, we report on the mechanical behavior of Ti 3 SiC 2 . In particular, we have evaluated the mechanical response of fine‐grained (3–5 μm) Ti 3 SiC 2 in simple compression and flexure tests, and we have compared the results with those of coarse‐grained (100–200 μm) Ti 3 SiC 2 . These tests have been conducted in the 25°–1300°C temperature range. At ambient temperature, the fine‐ and coarse‐grained microstructures exhibit excellent damage‐tolerant properties. In both cases, failure is brittle up to ∼1200°C. At 1300°C, both microstructures exhibit plastic deformation (>20%) in flexure and compression. The fine‐grained material exhibits higher strength compared with the coarse‐grained material at all temperatures. Although the coarse‐grained material is not susceptible to thermal shock (up to 1400°C), the fine‐grained material thermally shocks gradually between 750° and 1000°C. The results presented herein provide evidence for two important aspects of the mechanical behavior of Ti 3 SiC 2 : (i) inelastic deformation entails basal slip and damage formation in the form of voids, grain‐boundary cracks, kinking, and delamination of individual grains, and (ii) the initiation of damage does not result in catastrophic failure, because Ti 3 SiC 2 can confine the spatial extent of the damage.