Preparation of porous TiC/C ceramics using wooden template in molten salt media

Biomorphic TiC/C ceramics with a wood-like structure were synthesised using a template fabricated from wood. TiC coatings were obtained on the surface of a carbon template via reacting it with Ti powder in a mixture of a molten KF–KCl binary salt under an argon atmosphere. Phase composition and microstructure of the TiC/C ceramics were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy. The pore size distribution within the porous TiC/C ceramics was investigated using automatic mercury porosimetery. The results demonstrated that Ti powder reacted with the cellular carbon walls of the wood to form TiC coatings at 700–1000°C. Furthermore, the synthesised TiC/C ceramic retained the morphology of the carbon template, indicating that the formation of the carbon template played a dominant role in the formation of the TiC/C ceramic possessing a highly microporous structure.