Effects of Al and Al4C3 contents on combustion synthesis of Cr2AlC from Cr2O3-Al-Al4C3 powder compacts

Preparation of the ternary carbide Cr₂AlC was conducted by combustion synthesis in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from the Cr₂O₃-Al-Al₄C₃ powder compact. Effects of the contents of Al and Al₄C₃ on the product composition and combustion behavior were studied by formulating the reactant mixture with a stoichiometric proportion of Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:5x:y, where x and y varied from 1.0 to 1.5. When compared to those of the powder compact with Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:5:1 (i.e., x = y = 1.0), the combustion temperature and reaction front velocity increased with content of Al, but decreased with that of Al₄C₃. Besides Cr₂AlC and Al₂O₃, the final products always contained a secondary phase Cr₇C₃ that was substantially reduced by adopting additional Al and Al₄C₃ in the reactant compacts. For the sample with Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:7.5:1 (x = 1.5), solid state combustion reached a peak temperature of 1245 °C and yielded Cr₂AlC with a trivial amount of Cr₇C₃. Although Cr₇C₃ was lessened by introducing extra Al₄C₃, the increase of Al₄C₃ from y = 1.1 to 1.5 produced almost no further reduction of Cr₇C₃ in the final product. This is partly attributed to the low combustion temperature in the range of 1065-1095 °C for the samples with additional Al₄C₃, and in part, due to the role of Al₄C₃ which might react with Cr to form Cr₇C₃, Cr₂Al, and Cr₂AlC.