Properties of Nanostructured TiCN and TiCN–TiAl Hard Materials Sintered by the High-Frequency Induction-Heating

Abstract

In the case of cemented TiCN, Ni or Co is added as a binder for the formation of composite structures. However, the high cost of Ni or Co and the low corrosion resistance of the TiCNNi cermet have generated interest in recent years for alternative binder phases. In this study, TiAl was used as a binder and consolidated by the high-frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) method. Highly dense TiCNTiAl with a relative density of up to 100% was obtained within 2 min by HFIHS under a pressure of 80 MPa. The method was found to enable not only the rapid densification but also the inhibition of grain growth preserving the nano-scale microstructure. The average grain sizes of the sintered TiCN and TiCNTiAl were lower than 100 nm. The addition of TiAl to TiCN enhanced the hardness and toughness due to increase of relative density.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Multicomponent Metal Ti(C,N)-Based Cermets

“…However, compared with metal materials [5], the brittleness and impact toughness of this material still has obvious shortcomings that restrict its development for widespread application. In recent years, a lot of methods, such as spark plasma sintering technique (SPS) [6,7], hot-pressing sintering [8], high-frequency induction heated sintering method [9,10], liquid phase sintering [11] and the combination of powder metallurgy technique and colloidal method [12], etc., have been used to improve the fracture toughness of Ti(C,N)-based cermets. The SPS technique has the advantages of low cost, rapid response and high output.…”