Fabrication of SiCw/Ti3SiC2 composites with improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties using spark plasma sintering

High strength SiC whisker-reinforced Ti 3 SiC 2 composites (SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 ) with an improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The bending strength of 10 wt% SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 was 635 MPa, which was approximately 50% higher than that of the monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 (428 MPa). The Vickers hardness and thermal conductivity ( k ) also increased by 36% and 25%, respectively, from the monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 by the incorporation of 10 wt% SiC w . This remarkable improvement both in mechanical and thermal properties was attributed to the fine-grained uniform composite microstructure along with the effects of incorporated SiC w . The SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 can be a feasible candidate for the in-core structural application in nuclear reactors due to the excellent mechanical and thermal properties.