Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti₃SiC₂ Irradiated by Carbon Ions

Thanks to its noteworthy mechanical properties, excellent damage tolerance and good thermal stability, the Ti₃SiC₂ ternary compound has attracted great concern and has been considered as a potential structural component material for the 4th generation of reactors (e.g., gas fast nuclear reactors) and future fusion reactors. The outstanding properties are due to the nanolamellar structure which imparts characteristics of both metals and ceramics to this material. In our work, Ti₃SiC₂ samples have been irradiated by C⁺ ions with a high fluence of 1.78×10¹⁷ ions/cm² at a range of temperatures from 120°C–850°C. Subsequently, series of characterization techniques including synchrotron irradiation x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and nano-indentation are carried out to understand the changes of microstructure and mechanical properties. The composition exhibits high damage tolerant properties and a high recovery rate through the analysis, especially at high temperature. The minimum damage to an irradiated sample appears around 350°C in the temperature range 120°C–550°C. At a high irradiation temperature, a significant reduction in the damage can be achieved and an almost complete lack of damage compared with an un-irradiated sample is revealed at the temperature of 850°C.