Material properties and machining performance of hybrid Ti2AlN bulk material for micro electrical discharge machining

M(n+1)AX(n) (MAX) phases are a family of nanolaminated compounds that possess unique combination of typical ceramic properties and typical metallic properties. As a member of MAX phase, Ti2AlN bulk materials are attractive for some high-temperature applications. The synthesis, characteristics and machining performance of hybrid Ti2AlN bulk materials were focused on in this work. The bulk samples mainly consisting of Ti2AlN MAX phase with density close to theoretic one were synthesized by a spark plasma sintering method. Scanning electron microscopy results indicate homogenous distribution of Ti2AlN grains in the samples. Micro-hardness values are almost constant under different loads (6-6.5 GPa). A machining test was carried out to compare the effect of material properties on micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) performance for Ti2AlN bulk samples and Ti6242 alloy. The machining performance of the Ti2AlN sample is better than that of the Ti6242 alloy. The inherent mechanism was discussed by considering their electrical and thermal conductivity.