Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, P.R. China;2. Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, P.R. China;3. State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China;4. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, P.R. China;5. Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, P.R. China
Datang Northeast Electric Power Test And Research Institute, Changchun, P.R. China |
Abstract: | Titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles with well-designed exposed crystal planes perform intriguing prospects for functional and engineering applications. In this study, a simple and controllable in situ synthesis strategy was proposed for the synthesis of TiC nanoparticles with specific morphology. Reaction behaviors suggested that most of TiC nanoparticles were formed by an instantaneous reaction between Al3Ti and Al4C3 in the Al-rich melt and the resultant morphology was controlled by the discrepant growing rates of (100) and (111) crystal planes. In addition, a growth morphology control model was presented for the prediction and manipulation of the morphology of TiC nanoparticles by the doping of different alloying elements Me (Me = Cu, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Si). According to the morphological observations and density functional theory analyses including the interface energy, charge density differences, and orbital hybridization: Cu, Mg, and Zn atoms could stabilize the Al/TiC(111) interface, whereas Mn and Si atoms promoted the rapid growing and disappearance of the TiC(111) planes in the Al melt. This work provides a feasible way to intelligently design and manipulate TiC nanoparticles with desirable exposed crystal planes, and exhibits a promising prospect for personalized applications. |