Quasi
phase-pure (>98 wt %) MAX phase solid solution ceramics with the
(Zr,Ti)2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C stoichiometry
and variable Zr/Ti ratios were synthesized by both reactive hot pressing
and pressureless sintering of ZrH2, TiH2, Al,
Sn, and C powder mixtures. The influence of the different processing
parameters, such as applied pressure and sintering atmosphere, on
phase purity and microstructure of the produced ceramics was investigated.
The addition of Sn to the (Zr,Ti)2AlC system was the key
to achieve phase purity. Its effect on the crystal structure of a
211-type MAX phase was assessed by calculating the distortions of
the octahedral M6C and trigonal M6A prisms due
to steric effects. The M6A prismatic distortion values
were found to be smaller in Sn-containing double solid solutions than
in the (Zr,Ti)2AlC MAX phases. The coefficients of thermal
expansion along the ⟨a⟩ and ⟨c⟩ directions were measured by means of Rietveld
refinement of high-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction data
of (Zr1–x
,Ti
x
)2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C MAX phase
solid solutions with x = 0, 0.3, 0.7, and 1. The
thermal expansion coefficient data of the Ti2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C solid solution were compared with those of the
Ti2AlC and Ti2SnC ternary compounds. The thermal
expansion anisotropy increased in the (Zr,Ti)2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C double solid solution MAX phases as compared
to the Zr2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C and Ti2(Al0.5,Sn0.5)C end-members.