Laser sintering of electrophoretically deposited (EPD) Ti3SiC2 MAX phase coatings on titanium

Ti 3 SiC 2 was deposited onto titanium substrates using electrophoretic deposition; a 4.3 wt% suspension of Ti 3 SiC 2 in water at pH 9 was used with 10 V field applied across the substrates. After 10 min of deposition, the coating surface density was 1.89 ± 0.26 mg/cm 2 . The thin coatings were then rapidly densified using a Renishaw AM250 3D printing laser to scan the surface. Cross sections of the substrate post sintering, showed the coating thickness to be 10–30 μm and densified with silicon loss constrained to the surface, although the overall coverage and adhesion varies. Preliminary Raman spectroscopy results suggest some MAX phase remains after sintering, but further characterisation is required to confirm.