Titanium aluminium carbide 211

MAX phases are a family of ternary carbides and nitrides that share a similar layered hexagonal crystal structure. They are so called because of their chemical formula: M(n+1)AXn —where n = 1, 2, or 3, where M is an early transition metal, A is an element from the IIIA or IVA groups, and X is carbon and/or nitrogen class of materials.
Ti₂AlC MAX phase exhibits high-temperature stability, thermal shock resistance, damage tolerance, crack-healing capability, good machinability, and exceptional oxidation resistance (immune to thermal cycling), and was widely used for high-temperature applications such as high-temperature heating elements, gas burner nozzles and industrial die inserts.

MAX phases are important precursors for synthesizing MXene, a highly conductive 2-dimentional nanomaterial. MXenes are produced by selective etching of the A element from the MAX phases. It combine the metallic conductivity of transition metal carbides with the hydrophilic nature of their hydroxyl or oxygen terminated surfaces. Ti₂AlC MAX phase is one of the most used MAX phase for MXene (Ti₂CTx).