NiAl powder alloys: II. Compacting of NiAl powders produced by various methods

The technological properties of granulated NiAl powders produced by gas spraying of melts and NiAl powders produced by calcium hydride reduction (CHR) of mixtures of nickel and aluminum oxides are compared. The possibilities of production of compact workpieces from these powders using hydrostatic pressing, hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing, and hot extrusion are estimated. To improve compressibility, preliminary milling and/or mechanical activation of the powders are proposed. The strength properties of NiAl rods with a diameter of 20 mm extruded from a temperature of 1100°C and made from the granulated powders are slightly higher than those made from the CHR powders. At temperatures higher than 800°C the properties becomes similar. Transition point t _d.b from the ductile to brittle state of samples made from powders sprayed in nitrogen and argon is 100?C150°C higher than those made from the CHR powders. The difference in the mechanical properties is caused by the structural and chemical microheterogeneity of granules (microingots), which is inherited in the rods after hot deformation and annealing at 1200?C1400°C and is (0.67?C0.88)T _m NiAl (T _m is the melting point, K).