Thickness-dependent oxidation behaviors of Ti3AlC2 foils at 1100 °C in air

Abstract The oxidation behavior of Ti3AlC2 foils at 1100 °C in air has been investigated. It is found that the oxidation behavior of Ti3AlC2 is thickness-dependent. For the 85 μm thick sample, breakaway oxidation occurs initially. For the 95 μm thick sample, selective oxidation occurs initially and transforms to breakaway oxidation after 12.5 h. When the thickness exceeds 110 μm, Ti3AlC2 foils exhibit much longer lifetime. Continuous Al2O3 scale is formed on the 75−120 μm thick wedge-shaped sample, suggesting that diffusion rate of Al is high in the whole body during oxidation. The mechanism of breakaway oxidation of Ti3AlC2 is discussed.