ISSN 1061-3862, International Journal of Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis, 2008, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 54–57. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2008.
Titanium Carbide by the SHS Process Ignited with Aluminothermic Reaction A. Benaldjiaa, O. Guellatia, W. Bounoura, M. Gueriounea, M. Ali-Rachedia, A. Amaraa, A. Dricia, and D. Vrelb a Laboratoire
d’Etude et de Recherche des Etats Condensés (LEREC), Université Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, 23000 Algérie b Laboratoire LIMHP, CNRS, Av. J.-B. Clément, Villetaneuse, Paris 13, 93430 France e-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected] Received November 13, 2007
Abstract—We explored the ignition of Ti + C TiC reaction with another highly exothermic thermite reaction, Fe2O3 + 2Al 2Fe + Al2O3, used as a match. In order to decrease the combustion temperature and thus to avoid explosion mode, we studied the effect of alumina diluent on the thermite reaction. In order to ensure the stability of front propagation, we also tested the reactions involving enriched and non-enriched iron ores. The evolution of phase composition, grain size, and density of products during SHS reaction was determined by XRD and IR filming. Keywords: SHS, ignition, thermite reaction, ore reaction, titanium carbide. PACS numbers: 81.05.Je, 81.20.Ka DOI: 10.3103/S1061386208010068
1. INTRODUCTION
In this work, we made an attempt to ignite Ti–C mixtures using another reaction as a match (thermite system based on enriched and non-enriched iron ores). We studied the effect of alumina diluent on the thermite reactions and on the combustion wave propagation process. The evolution of phase composition, grain size, and density of products during SHS reaction was determined by XRD and IR filming.
Titanium carbide (TiC) has several potential applications as a wear-resistant and cutting material. One of important restrictions in this way is a high production cost of these materials. In this context, SHS seems to be a promising technology for preparation of ceramic composites in view of its low cost and efficiency [1–3]. Earlier, highly exothermic solid–solid SHS reactions were used to prepare ferrite systems [4]. A well-known example is the classical thermite reaction Fe2O3 + 2Al
2. EXPERIMENTAL
Al2O3 + 2Fe + 850 kJ
The commercially available titanium (99% pure,
