Fabrication of Ti3SiC2/SiCp Multiport Minichannel Plates for High-Temperature Applications

Abstract An innovative method for fabricating ceramic multiport minichannel plates (MMP) has been developed. The essence of the method is the combustion synthesis of Ti 3 SiC 2 /SiC p ceramic matrix composite using sandwich assembly of titanium metal items, viz. rods and sheets, and tape-cast rubber films filled with SiC particles and TiC additive. The fabrication route consists of hot pressing of starting materials at 100 °C under 60 MPa in air into a single integrated unit followed by heat treatment at 1400 °C in a vacuum hot press furnace under small uniaxial load of 80 N. It is shown that the one-dimensional titanium metal items act as both reactants and channel-forming templates. The MMP prepared by the proposed method contains primarily of 45 vol.% Ti 3 SiC 2 and 44 vol.% SiC, as well 11 vol.% TiSi 2 minor component. The material exhibits a composite microstructure consisting of a dense Ti 3 SiC 2 -based matrix and SiC particles uniformly embedded in it. The sample contains parallel-aligned hollow cylindrical channels of 0.8 mm in diameter distributed with a center-to-center spacing of 1.3 mm. The volume fracture of the channels is estimated to be about 19%.