Hydrothermal Oxidation Behavior of Bulk Titanium Aluminum Carbide

Hydrothermal oxidation of bulk Ti3AlC2 in continuous water flow was studied at 500 degrees-700 degrees C under a hydrostatic pressure of 35 MPa. During hydrothermal oxidation, titanium and aluminum were oxidized and selectively removed from Ti3AlC2 with the survival of carbon. Reaction kinetics obeyed a linear time-law. The hydrothermal oxidation rates were sluggish at 500-600 degrees C and faster at 700 degrees C accompanied with the formation of cracks in oxides. This study clarified that the resistance of bulk Ti3AlC2 against hydrothermal oxidation was high up to 700 degrees C.