Three‐Dimensional Printing of Nanolaminated Ti 3 AlC 2 Toughened TiAl 3 –Al 2 O 3 Composites

Nanolaminates with a layered M N +1 AX N crystal structure (with M: transition metal, A: group element, X: carbon or nitrogen, and N =1, 2, 3) offer great potential to toughen ceramic composites. A ternary Ti 3 AlC 2 carbide containing ceramic composite was fabricated by three‐dimensional printing of a TiC+TiO 2 powder mixture and dextrin as a binder. Subsequent pressureless infiltration of the porous ceramic preform with an Al melt at 800°–1400°C in an inert atmosphere, followed by reaction of Al with TiC and TiO 2 finally resulted in the formation of a dense multiphase composite of Ti 3 AlC 2 –TiAl 3 –Al 2 O 3 . A controlled flaw/strength technique was utilized to determine fracture resistance as a function of crack extension. Rising R ‐curve behavior with increasing crack extension was observed, confirming the operation of wake‐toughening effects on the crack growth resistance. Observations of crack/microstructure interactions revealed that extensive crack deflection along the (0001) lamellar sheets of Ti 3 AlC 2 was the mechanism responsible for the rising R ‐curve behavior.