Optimization of Synthesis Process of Nanostructured Carbide-Corundum Silumin Modifier

Abstract

A mathematical model is developed for the process of synthesis of nanostructured modifier TiC-Al2O3 by gasphase deposition based on the system of starting materials TiO2-Al-C. To construct the response equation in the form of a polynomial of the second degree, the experiments were carried out in accordance with the model of a rotatable composite plan of the second order with three factors, including 20 experiments. The main factors considered were the isothermal holding temperature T (°C), the isothermal holding time t (s), and the proportion of the chlorinating component Q (wt.%), and as a response function — the proportion of titanium carbide q(TiC) (wt.%) in the composition of the synthesized modifier. The paper describes the results of computational and experimental modeling, from which it can be concluded that to obtain a modifier with the highest content of titanium carbide, the synthesis parameters should be as follows: T = 900–930 °C; t = 2–2.5 h; Q = 4–4.5 wt.%. The resulting TiC-Al2O3 modifier contains 34 wt.% TiC and has a nanostructured structure, with spherical and filamentous particles which diameter does not exceed 100 nm.

Keywords

• modifier
• nanoparticles
• titanium carbide
• corundum
• optimization
• mathematical model