0.5 ) and obtaining high-density ceramics with enhanced mechanical properties. An x-ray structural analysis is used to examine how the 5 crystalline structure evolves during temperature-pressure treatment, which produces new ceramic materials. Based on the properties of the polycrystalline materials obtained, the temperature-time mode for the consolidation of initial nanopowders is determined to ensure favorable parameters of sintered nanograined ceramics.Refractory compounds with unique properties [1, 2] are widely used in producing composite materials. Therefore, the properties of refractory compounds need to be further improved by making complex polyatomic compounds with controlled composition and obtaining their superfine or nanostructured forms.Nanostructured materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, it is important to examine the formation of nanograined polycrystals in the sintering of refractory nanopowders to produce nanostructured ceramics.One of the efficient methods to produce nanocrystalline materials is to sinter nanopowders under high quasihydrostatical pressures. Grigorii Samsonov regarded high pressures as an important parameter that can substantially improve properties [3].High pressures lead to nonequilibrium thermodynamic conditions within the material sintered. The nonequilibrium of the system is enhanced by rapid heating under pressure (50-100 °C/sec). Nanodisperse systems are, in turn, thermodynamically nonequilibrium as there is excess free surface energy. Such a compressed porous system evolves in accordance with Le Chatelier's principle and tends to become less nonequilibrium because of the mobility of atoms. The mobility of atoms may intensify when different phases interact under pressure-temperature impacts leading to the efficient densification of the system. High pressures, which initiate the intensive deformation of the system, substantially contribute to the consolidation. This paper examines how ceramic nanograined polycrystals based on Ti-N-B and Ti-N-C refractory titanium compounds are produced.
MATERIALS AND METHODSNanocrystalline mixtures of titanium nitride (80 wt.%) and titanium diboride (20 wt.%) powders and titanium carbonitride powder were used as the initial materials. They were produced by plasma chemical synthesis and supplied by Plasma