Experimental and Numerical Studies on Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis of Ta 5 Si 3 Intermetallics
Formation of Ta5Si3 by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from elemental powder compacts of Ta:Si = 5:3 was experimentally and numerically studied. Experimental evidence showed that the increase of either sample density or preheating temperature led to the increase of combustion wave velocity and reaction temperature. The apparent activation energy, Ea ≈ 108 kJ/mol, was determined for the synthesis reaction. Based upon numerical simulation, the Arrhenius factor of the rate function, K0 = 2.5 × 10 s, was obtained for the 5Ta + 3Si combustion system. In addition, the influence of sample density on combustion wave kinetics was correlated with the effective thermal conductivity (keff) of the powder compact. By adopting 0.005 ≤ keff/kbulk ≤ 0.016 in the computation model, the calculated combustion velocity and temperature were in good agreement with experimental data of the samples with compaction densities between 35% and 45% theoretical maximum density (TMD).
An overview of powder processing of silicides and their composites
Abstract The use of powders to prepare fully dense silicides and their composites is reviewed. Since most of the techniques are well known, we concentrate on recent developments in this field, including the effects of processing techniques on composition, microstructure and mechanical properties. The use of hybrid processes to produce silicides is described, as are hybrid materials resulting from these processes. Included in the latter are functionally graded materials (FGM). The paper concludes with a brief discussion of in-situ melt processing as a competitive means to produce aligned composite structures
Effect of Carbon Addition on Elevated Temperature Crack Growth Resistance in (Mo,W)Si2–SiCp Composite
Experimental results on subcritical crack growth behavior of hot-pressed MoSi[sub 2]-50 mol% WSi[sub 2] alloy reinforced with 30 vol% SiC particles in the temperature range 1,200--1,300 C are presented. The effect of 2 wt % C addition on the stable crack growth resistance of this composite was investigated under both static and cyclic loading conditions. The results indicate that the addition off carbon to the composite improves the subcritical crack growth resistance under both static and cyclic loads and increases the elevated temperature capabilities of the (Mo, W) Si[sub 2] composite. Increasing the temperature from 1,200 to 1,300 C is found to increase the crack growth velocities with a concomitant decrease in the crack growth initiation thresholds. Electron microscopy of the crack-tip region indicates that the stable crack growth process is influenced primarily by interfacial cavitation. At 1,300 C, deformation processes such as twinning of the SiC particles and dislocation motion within the matrix grains appear to play an active role in determining the crack growth kinetics. The role of glassy phase in influencing the high-temperature fracture behavior and its implications for design of the microstructure of the brittle materials are discussed.