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**7** 

*China* 

Chunfeng Hu1, Qing Huang1, Yiwang Bao2 and Yanchun Zhou3

*Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo* 

*1Ningbo Institute of Material Science and Technology,* 

*2State Key Laboratory of Green Building Materials,* 

*China Building Materials Academy, Beijing 3Ceramic and Composites, Aerospace Research Institute of Materials and Technology, Beijing,* 

**Sintering and Properties of Nb4AlC3 Ceramic** 

Layered ternary compounds, M*n*+1AX*n* (where M is an early transition metal, A is an A group element, X is C or N, and *n* = 1-3), also called the MAX phases, are layered carbides or nitrides crystallizing with hexagonal symmetry structure [1,2]. These ceramics combine the characteristics of metals and ceramics such as high strength and modulus, low density, good electrical and thermal conductivity, easy machinability, damage tolerance, and resistance to thermal shock and high temperature oxidation. To date, more than 50 M2AX compounds (not list for brevity), five M3AX2 compounds (Ti3SiC2, Ti3GeC2, Ti3AlC2, Ta3AlC2, and Ti3SnC2), and seven M4AX3 (Ta4AlC3, Ti4AlN3, Ti4SiC3, Ti4GeC3, Nb4AlC3, V4AlC3, and Ti4GaC3) were identified. For 413 phases, it has been determined that there are two kinds of atomic stacking sequences along [0001] direction. Ti4AlN3, Ti4SiC3, Ti4GeC3, α-Ta4AlC3, Nb4AlC3, and V4AlC3 have the same Ti4AlN3-type crystal structure with atomic arrangement of ABABACBCBC along [0001] direction. Only β-Ta4AlC3 was determined to have the ABABABABAB atomic arrangement along [0001] direction. In detail, the difference of atomic arrangements between β-Ta4AlC3 and α-Ta4AlC3 lay in the diversity of atomic positions. The atomic positions of β-Ta4AlC3 were described as Ta1 at (4*f*) (1/3, 2/3, 0.05524), Ta2 at (4*f*) (2/3, 1/3, 0.16016), Al at (2*c*) (1/3, 2/3, 1/4), C1 at (2*a*) (0, 0, 0), and C2 at (4*e*) (0, 0, 0.11125). While, the atomic positions of α-Ta4AlC3 were determined as Ta1 at (4*f*) (1/3, 2/3, 0.05453), Ta2 at (4*e*) (0, 0, 0.15808), Al at (2*c*) (1/3, 2/3, 1/4), C1 at (2*a*) (0, 0, 0), and

Ti4AlN3-type Nb4AlC3 was firstly discovered by heat treating Nb2AlC at 1700oC, and the crystal structure was determined using a combined technique of *ab initio* calculation and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the single phase Nb4AlC3 could be synthesized by hot pressing and spark plasma sintering. The microstructure, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of as-prepared Nb4AlC3 were

**1. Introduction** 

C2 at (4*f*) (2/3, 1/3, 0.10324).

systematically described.

Vlasov, A., Korobeynikov, M., Bryazgin. A., Kalinin, P. & Arzhannikov, A. (2011). Solid oxide fuel cell composite cathodes based on perovskite and fluorite structures, *Journal of Power Sources,* 196, 7104-7109, ISSN: 0378-7753.

