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Spark plasma sintering of Ti-48Al intermetallic using elemental powder

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Abstract

Sintered compacts without further heat treatment were fabricated at 540 °C, 570 °C, 600 °C and 650 °C (below the melting temperature of aluminium) via spark plasma sintering (SPS). Ti and Al in a proportion of 52% (at.) and 48% (at.) respectively were used as the starting powders. Powder mixture without mechanical alloying was prepared in a turbula mixer for a period of 8 h. The microstructure and phases present in the elemental and mixed powders were investigated. The microstructure, phase transformation and mechanical properties of the sintered samples were investigated. The density of sintered compacts increased from 3.32 to 3.39 g/cm3 as the sintering temperature increased from 540 to 600 °C, and it shot beyond the theoretical density of 3.41 g/cm3 to a value of 3.91 g/cm3 due to loss of aluminium melt from the reaction zone during sintering. XRD analysis shows the formation of Ti, TiAl2 and Ti2Al5 as the major phases, and TiAl and Ti3Al as the minor phases. There was an indication that the powder mixture has undergone a complex reaction with the evolution of unordered (non-equilibrium) phases retained during SPS. An average microhardness value of 89.87 HV was obtained for temperature 540 to 600 °C, which increased abruptly to a value of 276.63 HV for temperature of 650 °C. This study gives insight to the discussion of the synthesis of Ti-Al intermetallic without mechanical alloying of elemental powders and no further heat treatment of consolidated powder.

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Funding

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa for the grant, Unique Grant No. 117867.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

    Samson Olaitan Jeje, Mxolisi Brendon Shongwe & Bukola Joseph Babalola

  2. Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa

    Nthabiseng Maledi

  3. Centre for Nanoengineering and Tribocorrosion, School of Mining, Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Peter Apata Olubambi

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  1. Samson Olaitan Jeje
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  2. Mxolisi Brendon Shongwe
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  3. Nthabiseng Maledi
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  4. Peter Apata Olubambi
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  5. Bukola Joseph Babalola
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Correspondence to Samson Olaitan Jeje.

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Jeje, S.O., Shongwe, M.B., Maledi, N. et al. Spark plasma sintering of Ti-48Al intermetallic using elemental powder. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 103, 3025–3032 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-03750-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-03750-x

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