Structure and hot hardness of RuAl-based alloys produced by reactive sintering using hot isostatic pressing

The structure and hot hardness (at temperatures up to 1100°C) of RuAl-based powder alloys with 1–3 at % Ni, Mo, Re, or Ru are studied. The alloys are produced by the reactive sintering of cold-compacted bars and subsequent threefold isostatic pressing with intermediate annealing at 1500°C performed after the first hot isostatic pressing. The samples have a residual pore content of 1–2.5 vol % and are characterized by a micrononuniform distribution of base and alloying elements. The alloys with refractory metals, such as Re, Mo, or Ru, are found to have the maximum hardness at all temperatures under study. At low temperatures, the effect is more substantial; the hardness of the Re-containing alloys exceeds that of the other alloys by a factor of 1.3–3.6. The increase in the hardness related to solid-solution alloying becomes more substantial owing to the microinhomogeneity of the sintered powder alloys and weakens because of microporosity. Recommendations that allow the uniformity of the distribution of the base and alloying elements to be increased are given.