EFFECT OF SPARK PLASMA SINTERING ON DENSIFICATION, MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES AND CUTTING PERFORMANCE OF TITANIUM CARBIDE WHISKER ALUMINA COMPOSITE CERAMICS/

Composite ceramics of alumina mixed with 20 vol% titanium carbide whis kers were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and hot-pressing at 1300 to 1650 degrees C under 30 MPa for 5 min. The SPS brought abou t dense titanium carbide whisker/alumina composites at a sintering tem perature of 1500 degrees C, which was about 100 degrees C lower than t hat in the hot-pressing process. The composites obtained by SPS had me chanical properties slightly higher than those obtained by hot-pressin g. The alumina matrix grains in the composites prepared by SPS grew la rger than those by hot-pressing. The cutting performance (wear resista nce and fracture resistance) of dense sintered bodies fabricated by SP S resulted to be slightly improved over those by hot-pressing, due to their higher mechanical properties.