The Effect of TiC Additive on Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Al2O3 Ceramic

In this study the influence of TiC content on the mechanical and electrical properties of Al2O3-TiC composites containing 30 and 40 vol.% TiC were investigated. The Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the composites increased with the addition of TiC phase. The composite with 40 vol.% TiC showed the highest flexural strength (687 +/- 39 MPa), fracture toughness (7.8 +/- 0.4 MPa.m(1/2) ) and hardness (22.3 +/- 0.3 GPa) with a homogeneous distribution of the second phase within the ceramic matrix. Besides enhanced mechanical properties, it was found that ceramic composites with more than 30 vol.% TiC fabricated by the spark plasma sintering possess sufficient electrical conductivity for electrical discharge machining as well. Therefore, they do not limit the flexibility of the shape, and any intricate parts can be easily made with these composites which can be recommended for the production of cutting inserts in the tools for machining of superhard hardened steels, hard-to-machine materials, composites and other materials used in mechanical engineering.