Tribophysical Properties of Polycrystalline Bulk Ti 3 AlC 2

A nearly pure, dense, polycrystalline bulk Ti 3 AlC 2 sample was prepared by reactively hot pressing the element titanium, aluminum, and graphite powders. The tribophysical properties were investigated by sliding a Ti 3 AlC 2 block dryly against a low‐carbon steel disk. It was found that the friction coefficient is as low as ∼0.1, and the wear rate of Ti 3 AlC 2 is only ∼2.5 × 10 −6 mm 3 /N·m for the highest sliding speed of 60 m/s and the largest normal pressure of 0.8 MPa. These unusual properties are attributable to the presence of a compact self‐generating film, which covers uniformly over the friction surface of Ti 3 AlC 2 with a thickness of ∼0.5 μm.