Investigation into the Structure Formation and Properties of Materials in the Copper–Titanium Disilicide System

The structure formation and properties during infiltration, free sintering, and spark-plasma sintering in Cu–(12.5–37.5 vol %) powder materials Ti 3 SiC 2 are investigated by electron microscopy, X-ray phase analysis, and energy-dispersion analysis. The independence of the phase composition of composite materials (CMs) on the sintering method and temperature in a range of 900–1200°C is established. The peculiarities of formation of the CM structure during sintering are the intercalation of silicon from titanium carbosilicide and the formation of a carbon solid solution based on Ti 5 Si 3 (C) titanium disilicide, small amounts of titanium carbide, silicon carbide, and TiSi 2 silicide. An increase in Ti 3 SiC 2 in the CM certainly lowers electrical conductivity, but considerably increases the hardness, strength, and electroerosion wear resistance of CM electrodes for electroerosion broaching.