Efficient synthesis of Ti3AlC2 powders with high purity by microwave-assisted molten salt method

In this work, Ti3AlC2 powders with high purity were prepared by microwave-assisted molten salt method (MA-MS). The synthesis parameters (such as raw materials ratio, heating temperature and reactant materials) and the formation mechanisms were systematically investigated. The results indicate that Ti3AlC2 powders with a high purity up to 98.5% are prepared using TiH2/Al/1.8TiC mixture as reactant materials, and NaCl–KCl as molten salt by microwave-assisted heating at 1050 °C for 30 min. Compared with traditional heating methods, both the synthesis temperature and holding time of highly pure Ti3AlC2 powders synthesized in this work are much milder. This high-efficiency synthesis approach could be ascribed to the synergistic effect of molten salt and microwave heating. Moreover, the TiH2–Al–TiC starting material is more suitable for the rapid synthesis of Ti3AlC2 powders with high purity via present microwave-assisted molten salt method than that TiH2–Al–C.