Projects

Fabrication of MAX Phase Composite by Novel Manufacturing Technique: Structure and Tribological Behavior (Funding Agency: Institute of International Education, Fulbright Scholar Program, Samara State Technical University, Russia)

To achieve a high level of physical and mechanical material characteristics, new composite materials and the next generation of materials manufacturing processes must be developed. However, integrating two fundamentally dissimilar components, such as metal and ceramic, into a single monolithic substance is very often challenging and costly. Our research project involves the synthesis of ceramic-metal composite materials in order to achieve the synergy of ceramic and metal features in a highly cost-effective manner that does not require expensive equipment. Combining Combustion Synthesis and spontaneous Metal Melt Infiltration to produce a ceramic-metal composite material with an Interpenetrating Phase Compositional structure is the technical innovation. The hardness and microstructure of MAX-metal composites were researched, as well as their behavior under dry sliding conditions, in order to clarify possible areas of application and optimize manufacturing technique.