Study on the Effect of Temperature and Pressure Environments on the Mechanical and Electronic Properties of Titanium Carbon Nitride Ceramics

As a high-performance cermet, TiCN possesses extensive potential for application in various fields, including coating materials, ceramic products, and electronic materials. Here, the effects of temperature and pressure on the physical properties of the TiCN cermet have been investigated by high-pressure techniques and first-principles calculations. Experimentally, the phase, microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity of bulk TiCN ceramics were analyzed. In high-pressure sintering, the sintering temperature rhythmically regulated the porosity and grain size within the ceramics. The TiCN prepared at 5.5 GPa/1200 °C has a Vickers hardness of ∼23.81 GPa, a Young's modulus of 445.24 GPa, and an electrical conductivity of ∼(20.4 ± 0.55) × 10⁵ S/m. Moreover, the responses of the mechanical and electronic properties of TiCN to pressure were evaluated by first-principles, which matched the experimental results. The research findings have revealed that the pressure effects work not only on the microstructure and mechanical properties but also on the atoms and electrons. The study integrates both theoretical and experimental approaches to enhance our comprehension of the microstructure and physical properties of TiCN ceramics, insights that are instrumental in broadening the application scope of TiCN-based ceramic materials.