Fabrication of TiB2–Fe–Al Cermet Alloys Synthesized by Pulsed Current Process

• Published in: MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 275 - 278
• Main Authors: Kobayashi, Keizo, Ozaki, Kimihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sendai The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials 01-02-2006; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Alloy powders; cermet alloy; Cermets; Ferrous alloys; Intermetallic compounds; iron aluminide; Iron aluminides; Low temperature; Mechanical alloying; Mixtures; Oxidation; Pulsed current; pulsed current sintering; self propagating high temperature synthesis; Sintered compacts; Sintering (powder metallurgy); Spark plasma sintering; Synthesis; titanium boride; Titanium compounds; Titanium diboride
• ISSN: 1345-9678; 1347-5320
• DOI: 10.2320/matertrans.47.275

Mechanical alloying and pulsed-current sintering were used to synthesize TiB2–Fe–Al cermet alloys consisting of titanium boride and iron aluminide intermetallic compound. A mixture was obtained to which Fe was minutely distributed by mechanically alloying TiB2 powder and Fe powder for 180 ks. Mixture powders of TiB2–20 mass%Fe3Al and of TiB2–24 mass%FeAl were prepared by mixing an Al powder with this mechanically alloyed powder using a mortar. The added Al reacted with Fe after it had melted when these mixtures were heated. These powders were sintered for a short time and at low temperature using pulsed-current sintering process, but these sintered compacts had pores. Several iron aluminide intermetallic compounds were generated in the TiB2–20 mass%Fe3Al. Therefore, the TiB2–20 mass%Fe3Al compact was hard and brittle. However, the TiB2–24 mass%FeAl sintered body was composed only of TiB2 and FeAl, and had better ductility. A slight weight increase resulted from oxidation even though it was heated to 800 K or more in the air, but both sintered compacts retained their pores.