SELF-PROPAGATING HIGH-TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS - THE EXAMPLE OF TITANIUM CARBIDE

As an illustration of the general aspects of the self-propagating high temperature synthesis method, or SHS, which were described in the previous paper, the example of the preparation of titanium carbide (TiC) by SHS is presented here. After two sections related to the main production routes of the carbides and to the thermodynamics of formation of TiC, we discuss the experimental aspects of the process. The properties of the reactants and their compositions are precised, as well as the apparatus utilized and the different techniques used to characterize the products and the combustion front. The products are described in terms of relative density, phase composition and microstructure, whereas the combustion front is analysed by the profiles of the heat zone and reaction zone, and the velocity of propagation, These results lead to the conclusion that the combustion in the (Ti,C) system is diffusion controlled and occurs without intermediate product, according to mode I or LI as they were described in the previous paper.