Slurry processing for fabrication of SiC whisker-reinforced Si3N4 composites

In order to solve the major problems of processing whisker-reinforced ceramic composites, such as agglomeration of whiskers, correlation between pH and viscosity has been carefully investigated in a mixed slurry of whiskers and matrix powder. SiC whiskers and Si₃N₄ powder were dispersed homogeneously by controlling pH in aqueous suspension, and the state was successfully fixed by a sudden change of pH to make the slurry more viscous. The slurry was then filtrated rapidly and dried. The strength of hot pressed composites obtained by this procedure was scarcely lowered, with increased whisker loading in the range 0–30 wt% and fracture toughness increased more than 75%.     

A cost-effective P/M titanium matrix composite for automobile use

The aim of the present study is to obtain a new high-performance titanium matrix composite appropriate for automobile parts using a new low-cost powder metallurgy process. The results can be summarized as follows:

1. A production process was developed for a sintered titanium alloy from cheap, low-purity titanium powder (sponge fines) which in its as-sintered form (without expensive hot isostatic pressing or heat treatment) achieves superior fatigue properties to hot-isostatic-pressed titanium alloy made from expensive high purity hydride-dehydride titanium powder.
2. TiB was found to be a superior reinforcing compound for blended elemental titanium matrix composites than SiC, B₄C, TiAl, TiB₂, TiN and TiC tested previously and it was used in the above low-cost production process to make the new disperse-particle titanium matrix composites.
3. The developed titanium matrix composite allows considerably cheaper production of parts from titanium alloy than by conventional ingot forging methods and was confirmed to be far superior to conventional titatium alloys in tensile strength, fatigue properties, rigidity, heat resistance, and wear resistance.

     

In‐situ composite coating on powder metallurgy master alloy fabricated by vacuum hot‐pressing sintering technology

A material consisting of an in‐situ titanium carbide reinforced nickel‐aluminide (Ni₃Al) coating and a powder metallurgy master alloy was fabricated by vacuum hot‐pressing sintering technology. A metallurgical bonded, pores‐free interface between composite coating and powder metallurgy master alloy was formed at the sintering temperature of 1050 °C, pressure of 10^‐4 Pa and pressing pressure of 40 MPa. The phase, microstructure and wear behavior of composite coating were investigated. The results showed that polygonal titanium carbide particulates with various sizes were homogeneously distributed in nickel‐aluminide matrix. The sintering temperature, pressing pressure and heat from as‐reactions‐formed coating green compact facilitated the pore infiltration with transiently generated liquid phases and ensured the high‐intensity metallurgical bonding between composite coating and powder metallurgy master alloy. Due to the abnormal elevated‐temperature properties of nickel‐aluminide matrix, titanium carbide particulates reinforcement and the mechanically mixed layer protection, TiC/Ni₃Al‐coated parts demonstrated superior wear resistance and lower friction coefficient while compared with Ni₃Al‐coated parts and H13 steel.     

Development of laminated composite materials based on orthorhombic aluminide/titanium alloy and their tensile mechanical properties

Abstract

Laminated composite materials consisting of an orthorhombic Ti₂AlNb based alloy and an (α+β) titanium alloy have been fabricated at a laboratory scale using a two-step process involving diffusion bonding and hot rolling. The feasibility of fabrication of two and three layered materials with high quality bonding between layers was demonstrated. Preliminary assessment of the tensile mechanical properties of the obtained composite materials showed that they were superior to those of the titanium alloy and slightly inferior to the orthorhombic alloy.     

Electrochemical deposition of Ag–Sn alloys onto copper and titanium plates

In this paper, we report a detailed study of the thermal properties of a peritectic Ag–Sn alloy electrochemically deposited onto copper and titanium plates in order to produce soldered contact structures. A comparative analysis of Ag and Sn codeposition and layer-by-layer deposition processes is presented.     

Effects of aluminium powder content and cold rolling on foaming behaviour of xAlp/Al5Si4Cu4Mg/0.8TiH2 composites

Abstract

Aluminium foams were produced by applying powder metallurgy technology. The process began by making aluminium powder and mixing it with alloy powder (Al5Si4Cu4Mg) and foaming agent (TiH₂). The mix was compacted to the form of a billet by cold pressing and then it was hot extruded to a dense foamable strip, which was cold rolled to give 40% thickness reduction. The resulting precursor composites of both the extruded strip and the extruded plus rolled strip were then freely foamed without a mould at a constant temperature of 700°C for different foaming times. The effects of aluminium powder content and cold rolling on the foaming characteristics of the foamable composite strip were studied. It is noted that aluminium powder fibre in the extruded composite strip acts as a barrier to pore initiation and evolution due to the higher melting point of pure aluminium fibre than that of the alloy matrix. Cold rolling promotes foaming of the composite strip due to the TiH₂ cracking and debonding between TiH₂ particles and metal matrix. The morphological and microstructural evolution of composite foams was also investigated. The foaming mechanism can be described by the following sequence: cracklike pore nucleation between elongated powder fibres; ellipsoidal, spherical, and polygonal pore growth; and the collapse of pores as a result of coalescence.     

Effects of sintering temperature on the superconducting and microstructural properties of Bi1.7Pb0.4Sr1.6Ca2.4Cu3.6OY/Ag2O composites

The effects of sintering temperature on the superconducting and microstructure properties of Bi_1.7Pb_0.4Sr_1.6Ca_2.4Cu_3.6O _Y (BPSCCO)/Ag₂O (0–50 wt%) superconductors were investigated. Based on the differential thermal analysis data, it was found that the addition of Ag₂O to the BPSCCO system lowered the partial melting temperature (peritectic point), thereby promoting extra liquid formation in this system and affecting the stability of 2223 high-T _c phase of these composites. For example, the T _c (zero) of the BPSCCO/Ag₂O (10 wt%) composite which was sintered at 843 °C in air was depressed by as much as 52 K. However, the addition of Ag₂O (10–50 wt%) in the BPSCCO samples resulted in no significant effect on T _c when samples were treated under a lower sintering temperature (827 °C) in air. The correlations of superconducting properties with microstructures of these materials are discussed.     

Effects of the relative contents of silver and copper on the interfacial reactions and bond strength in the active brazing of SiC

The roles of titanium in active brazing of SiC have been studied extensively, while studies on the roles of silver and copper, which constitute the major parts of the active brazing alloys, have been overlooked. The effects of the relative contents of silver and copper in the brazing alloy on the interfacial reactions and bond strength have been investigated in this study. The interfacial reactions can be divided into the decomposition reaction of SiC by the brazing alloy melt and the interfacial reaction of titanium with SiC. Brazing by the Cu-5at% Ti alloy induced SiC to be decomposed, but the addition of silver to the brazing alloy suppressed the decomposition of SiC. TiC and Ti₅Si₃ was produced from the interfacial reactions of titanium independent of the brazing alloys. However, their morphologies and formation mechanisms differ greatly depending on the relative contents of silver and copper. The bond strength and fracture modes are also dependent on the relative contents of silver and copper. A good bond strength of 159–178 MPa was obtained by brazing with the Ag-5at% Ti alloy at 985°C for 600 s and fracture initiates at the interface of the reaction product layer and propagates through SiC.     

A new antibacterial titanium–copper sintered alloy: Preparation and antibacterial property

Copper element was added in pure titanium by a powder metallurgy to produce a new antibacterial titanium–copper alloy (Ti–Cu alloy). This paper reported the very early stage results, emphasizing on the preparation, mechanical property and antibacterial activity. The phase constitution was analyzed by XRD and the microstructure was observed under SEM equipped with EDS. The hardness, the compressive strength and the corrosion resistance of Ti–Cu alloy were tested in comparison with cp-Ti. The antibacterial property of the Ti–Cu alloy was assessed by two methods: agar diffusion assay and plate-count method, in which Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used. XRD and SEM results showed that Ti₂Cu phase and Cu-rich phase were synthesized in the Ti–Cu sintered alloy, which significantly increases the hardness and the compressive strength compared with cp-Ti and slightly improves the corrosion resistance. No antibacterial activity was detected by the agar diffusion assay on the Ti–Cu alloy, but the plate-count results indicated that the Ti–Cu alloy exhibited strong antibacterial property against both bacteria even after three polishing treatments, which demonstrates strongly that the whole alloy is of antibacterial activity. The antibacterial mechanism was thought to be in associated with the Cu ion released from the Ti–Cu alloy.     

In‐situ fabrication of zirconium–titanium nano‐composite and its coating on Ti‐6Al‐4V for biomedical applications

In this study, nanocomposite powder consisting of zirconia and titania (Zr–Ti) have been synthesised by sol–gel method, with the aim of protecting Ti‐6Al‐4V surface. A simple and low cost electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique has been employed for coating the nanocomposite material on Ti‐6Al‐4V. The prepared nanocomposite powder was characterised for its functional groups, phase purity, surface topography by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Further, the biocompatibility nature of the composite powder was studied by [3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colorimetric assay and fluorescence analysis with MG63 osteoblast cell lines. The electrochemical behaviour of composite coating was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance method. The results obtained from the electrochemical techniques indicate more corrosion resistance behaviour with increase of R _ct value with the corresponding decrease in R _dl values. From the above findings, the composite coating acts as a barrier layer against corrosion by preventing the leaching of metal ions from a dense and defect free coating. A scratch test analyser was used to assess the integrity of the coating; the lower traction force value of composite coating with increase in load has confirmed the presence of thick adherent layer on the substrate.Inspec keywords: zirconium compounds, titanium compounds, titanium alloys, aluminium alloys, vanadium alloys, nanofabrication, nanocomposites, nanoparticles, sol‐gel processing, electrophoretic coating techniques, surface topography, Fourier transform infrared spectra, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray chemical analysis, fluorescence, cellular biophysics, biomedical materials, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, corrosion resistance, corrosion protection, corrosion protective coatings, adhesionOther keywords: in‐situ fabrication, zirconium‐titanium nanocomposite powder, biomedical applications, zirconia, titania, sol‐gel method, electrophoretic deposition, EPD, functional groups, phase purity, surface topography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, biocompatibility, 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay, acridine range fluorescence analysis, MG63 osteoblast cell lines, electrochemical behaviour, composite coating, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, corrosion resistance, barrier layer, leaching, defect free coating layer, scratch test analysis, adherent layer, TiAlV‐ZrO₂ ‐TiO₂      

The wetting,reaction and bonding of silicon nitride by Cu-Ti alloys

The wettability and reactivity of pressureless sintered Si₃N₄ by powdered Cu-Ti alloy were investigated using sessile drop tests conducted in a vacuum. Bonding of Si₃N₄ to itself was also carried out and joint strength was evaluated by compressive shear testing. The correlation of wetting behaviour with reaction and bond strength was interpreted. The wettability of Cu-Ti alloys on Si₃N₄ was improved greatly by addition of titanium up to 50 wt%. However, the reaction-layer thickness was increased up to 10 wt% and thereafter decreased up to 50 wt%. We propose the dovetail model which describes the reaction-layer growth behaviour with titanium. As the titanium content was increased, it tended to form a continuous thin reaction layer which greatly improved the wettability. From metallographic and XRD analyses, TiN and Ti suicide were found in the reaction layer. The thermodynamic reaction for TiN formation was suggested to be Si₃N₄(s) + 4Ti (1 ? sol) = 4TiN(s) + 3Si(s). Ti-silicide might be formed during cooling by the reaction with Ti and Si which had been decomposed from Si₃N₄, diffused to and dissolved in the liquid Cu-rich alloy. The reaction layer growth was controlled by diffusion of nitrogen or titanium in the reaction layer according to the titanium concentration. The shear strength of Si₃N₄ to Si₃N₄ was affected by the morphology and thickness of the reaction layer rather than the wettability. As the titanium content increased, shear strength also increased rapidly up to 5 wt% and then slowly up to 50 wt%. As the reaction temperature and time were increased, shear strength was lowered due to the greater thickness of the reaction layer despite improved wettability.     

Friction and wear of P/M Al-20Si-Al2O3 composites in kerosene

The results of friction and wear of powder metallurgy (P/M) Al-20 wt% Si-3 wt% Cu-1 wt% Mg-(2.5–10) vol% Al₂O₃ particulate-reinforced composites have been compared with those of the P/M aluminium alloy matrix and A-390 cast piston aluminium alloy. It was found that Al₂O₃ reinforcement reduces wear by five to eight times when mating with cast iron in kerosene: The higher the reinforcement volume, the lower was the wear. With increased volume of reinforcement the wear mechanism of composites changed from the adhesive to the fatigue/delaminating one. The wear of the cast-iron counter sample was several times higher than that for P/M composites. Considering the life of the piston-piston ring couple, the piston composite with 10 vol% Al₂O₃ appears to be the best. The rate of clearance development for this couple is twice as low as that for the conventional piston alloys.     

Magnetic and chemical properties investigation of Fe–Ni electrodeposited alloy on titanium substrate at the presence of alumina

Iron-nickel alloys have different applications in electronic systems depending on their magnetic properties. In this research, Iron-nickel alloy and its composite with Al₂O₃ particles were produced by electro wining method using a titanium cathode which is traditionally produced through a melting process (pyrometallurgy). The effect of the processing parameters on the products specification was investigated by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and alternative gradient field magnetometer (AGFM). The produced alloy could be specified as; high saturation magnetization, low coercivity, and low magnetization, and so could be classified in the soft magnetic alloys groups. The best magnetic property of the alloy was obtained at low current density with a coercivity of about 3.10 O_e. SEM images show the cauliflower-like morphology of the product. At the presence of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in the electrolyte, a well-dispersed particles of alumina in the alloy was observed with a decrease in the magnetization and increase in the coercivity of the alloy. Also, the modified alloy with Al₂O₃ shows better corrosion resistance in NaCl solution.

     

Laser Surface Modification of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with Silicon Carbide

We show that surface laser modification through a coating containing SiC powder is an efficient method for enhancing the wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. The laser melting of SiC particles enriches the pool of substrate melt with silicon and carbon. In the course of crystallization, primary dendrites, which are identified as TiC, are formed at first. After fast cooling to room temperature, a multiphase structure consisting of Ti₅Si₃ and TiSi₂ silicides and ductile -martensite is formed in the interdendritic space. Such a composite structure of the surface layer has a microhardness of 5–6 GPa and guarantees a sharp enhancement of the wear resistance under conditions of dry sliding friction as compared with the hardened-and-aged structure of this alloy.     

Metal matrix composite layers formed by laser processing of commercial purity Ti–SiCp in nitrogen environment

Abstract

Metal matrix composite layer formation by means of laser alloying using 6 μm particle size SiC powder (SiC_p) preplaced on titanium surfaces in a nitrogen environment produced golden coloured tracks and a complete solution of SiC_p in the melt zones under a range of processing conditions. The melt layers consisted of dendrites at the top (titanium nitride based) followed by threadlike particle structures (titanium silicides), and the sizes of dendrites and the threadlike particles werefound to increase with increasing laser power density. The surface layer of the dendrites developed a hardness 4·5–9 times that of the base metal (150 HV), and the deep underlying threadlike structures had a plateau of hardness of aboout 2·8–4 times the base hardness. The metal matrix composite layers were found to be 2–4 times thicker than those produced previously in a helium environment under similar processing conditions. The exothermic reactions due to the formation of titanium nitride, titanium carbide, or titanium carbonitride along with titanium silicide during laser melting of SiC_p coated titanium surfaces under a nitrogen environment are considered to be responsible for the greater melt depth and complete dissolution of ceramic particles, by increasing the temperature of the melt.

MST/3208     

Effects of pack composition on the formation of aluminide coatings on alloy steels at 650°C

This is a detailed study aimed to understand the effects of pack composition on the formation and growth of aluminide coatings on alloy steels by pack aluminisation at 650°C, a temperature below the melting point of Al (660°C), using pack powders consisting of Al as depositing source, a halide salt as an activator and Al₂O₃ as inert filler. The packs activated by AlCl₃, NH₄Cl, AlF₃ and NH₄F were used to investigate the effects of the type of halide salt on the coating formation and growth process and subsequently to identify the most suitable activator for pack aluminising alloy steels at 650°C. The effects of pack Al content on the rate of coating growth were then studied by varying the pack Al content from 1.4 wt% to 10 wt% whilst fixing the pack activator content at 2 wt%. It was observed that among the halide salts studied, AlCl₃ is the only suitable activator for pack aluminising alloy steels at 650°C and the rate of coating growth increases with the pack Al content. The equilibrium partial pressures of vapour species generated at the deposition temperature in packs activated by different types of halide salts were calculated and the results were discussed in relation to the observed deposition tendency of packs activated by different types of activators. A vapour phase transportation model was applied to elucidate the relationship between the rate of coating growth and the pack Al content. It was also demonstrated that by combining the low temperature pack aluminising parameters identified in this study with electroless or electro Ni plating, coherent nickel aluminide coatings free of microcracking can be produced on alloy steels at 650°C.     

Thermal stability in the Al-Al3Ti system

Directionally solidified samples of an Al-2 wt% Ti alloy were annealed at temperatures between 435° C and 660° C to investigate the thermal stability of phases formed during an incomplete peritectic transformation. The proportion of Al₃Ti present in the assolidified alloy is less than equilibrium up to about 480° C, and more than equilibrium at higher temperatures. Hence, Al₃Ti particles will be stable up to about 500° C and will tend to dissolve at higher temperatures. Diffusion due to non-equilibrium composition of the phase continues at all temperatures but is sluggish up to about 600° C. The diffusion coefficient of Ti in Al at 635° C is estimated to be 2×10^–11 cm² sec^–1.     

New Filling Technique and Performance Evaluations of the Cr3C2?C Peritectic Fixed Point

The Cr₃C₂?C peritectic fixed point was investigated to test its capability to serve as a practical high-temperature fixed point. An improved filling technique where C/C sheet works as a wick and graphite paper as a hopper was applied successfully, and the long-term stability of the peritectic cell was evaluated by means of radiation thermometry. The repeatability of the melting point in one day was 7 mK with a melting range of approximately 100 mK. The cell was aged for 7 days, and the evaluated 56 melting temperatures during this period all fall within 90 mK, with a standard deviation of 19 mK. X-ray transmission photos showed that the ingot was filled uniformly in the crucible. After the evaluation of long-term stability, no clear degradation of the ingot shape and no leakage of molten metal were observed. From these results, it can be concluded that the Cr₃C₂?C peritectic cell has good stability and robustness, and the new filling technique was established. The impurity effect on the Cr₃C₂?C peritectic cell was also investigated by adding tungsten powder to another cell as the impurity component. After the observation of melting and freezing plateaux, the cell was cut in half to analyze the microstructure by means of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS). The high concentration of impurity was observed in the area of the chromium-rich domain (eutectic mixture of Cr₇C₃ and Cr₃C₂), which suggests that impurities were rejected from the Cr₃C₂ peritectic phase during the peritectic freezing and were accumulated in the Cr₇C₃?Cr₃C₂ eutectic phase. This explains why the impurity effect is more severe for the Cr₇C₃?Cr₃C₂ eutectic point than for the Cr₃C₂?C peritectic point.     

Phase selection in supercooled Cu–Nb alloys

Electromagnetic levitation was used to determine Cu–Nb phase diagram and to study supercooling effects on solidification characteristics of the alloys containing 5–70 wt% Nb. The Cu–Nb stable phase diagram was found to exhibit near-flat liquidus with a peritectic reaction at 1093 °C. Melt separation was found only for specimens containing approximately 20 wt% Nb. The results indicate that melt separation in the alloy requires supercooling exceeding 230 K combined with high cooling rates during solidification. Some specimens quenched from the solid + liquid zone on a copper chill also show evidence of melt separation which is attributed to minor oxygen impurities. Nb-rich liquid which nucleates below the T ₀ curve solidifies as a metastable Nb-bcc lattice containing only 67 wt% Nb as compared to 96 wt% of the regular Nb dendrites.     

Undercooling and supersaturation of alloying elements in rapidly solidified Al-8.5% Fe-1.2% V-1.7% Si alloy

Dispersion-strengthened Al-8.5% Fe-1.2% V-1.7% Si alloy was produced by inert gas atomization and atomized melt deposition processes. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to estimate the extent of undercooling in the alloy powders as a function of powder size and in the atomized melt-deposited alloy as a function of process parameters. The estimated undercooling was found to be a strong function of powder size and processing conditions and varied from 380–200 °C. Alloy powders of diameter greater than 180 jam did not experience any undercooling during solidification. X-ray diffraction analysis was performed to study the dependence of supersaturation of alloying elements and metastable phase formation on the extent of undercooling. When the undercooled alloy was heated to about 400 dgC, formation of Al₁₂(Fe, V)₃Si phase with b c c crystal structure from the supersaturated matrix was observed.