ISSN 0004-881X

Detection of Amorphous Silica in Air-Oxidized Ti₃SiC₂ at 500 - 1000 degC

by W.K. Pang¹, I.M. Low¹ and J. V. Hanna²

1) Centre for Materials Research, Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U 1987, Perth WA, Australia
2) Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Rd.,Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

Abstract

In this paper we describe the use of secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to detect the existence of amorphous silica in Ti₃SiC₂ oxidised at 500 - 1000  degC. The formation of an amorphous SiO₂ layer and its growth in thickness with temperature was monitored using dynamic SIMS. A duplex structure with an outer layer of TiO₂ and an inner mixture layer of SiO₂ and TiO₂ was observed. Results of NMR verify for the first time the direct evidence of amorphous silica formation during the oxidation of Ti₃SiC₂ at the temperature range 500-1000 degC.

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