Densification behavior and mechanical properties of the spark plasma sintered monolithic TiB2 ceramics

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Vol. 527; no. 21-22; pp. 5947 - 5951
• Main Authors: ZHANG, Z. H, SHEN, X. B, WANG, F. C, LEE, S. K, WANG, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 20-08-2010
• Subjects: Ceramics; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deformation and plasticity (including yield, ductility, and superplasticity); Densification; Density; Exact sciences and technology; Flexural strength; Materials science; Materials synthesis; materials processing; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Mechanical properties; Mechanical properties of solids; Microstructure; Physics; Sintering; Spark plasma sintering; Titanium diboride; Grain size; ceramic; Densification; Grain growth; Mechanical properties; Microstructures; Fabrication property relation; TiB; Microhardness; Heat treatments; Fracture toughness; Spark plasma sintering; Titanium boride; Flexural strength; Fine grain structure; Property structure relationship; Microstructure
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2010.05.086

Monolithic TiB2 ceramics with fine-grained microstructures and good mechanical properties were synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique under a pressure of 50MPa, with heating rate of 150A degree C/min, and sintering temperature ranging from 1200A degree C to 1800A degree C. Microstructures, mechanical properties, and densification behavior of the ceramics were investigated. Results indicate that TiB2 ceramics sintered at 1800A degree C provide the optimal combination of dense microstructure and excellent properties, including the relative density of 97.6%, the microhardness of 29.6A plus or minus 2.5GPa, the flexural strength of 538A plus or minus 45MPa, and the fracture toughness of 5.2A plus or minus 0.4MPam1/2. The dense microstructure is the main factor to improve the mechanical properties of the TiB2 ceramics synthesized by SPS process.