A. Yasukawa et M. Nagumo, Synthesis of TiC and Ti/TiC composites by reaction milling followed by hotconsolidation of Ti with graphite or heptane, J JPN METAL, 63(7), 1999, pp. 822-827
Synthesis of TIC and Ti/TiC composite has been conducted by mechanical allo
ying and following Spark-Plasma-Sintering starting from elemental Ti powder
with graphite or heptane. From graphite, formation of TiC takes place rapi
dly after a definite period of milling while it proceeds gradually from hep
tane. The apparent compositional range of Ti1-xCx is extended to a C/Ti rat
io as low as 30/70 when graphite is used, while a mixture of Ti and TiC is
obtained at a C/Ti ratio of 32/68 with heptane. Sintering can proceed at su
bstantially lower temperatures compared with the conventional process, the
sintering temperature decreasing with lower C/Ti ratios. The lattice parame
ter of TiC and the density of the compacts decrease with lower C/Ti ratios,
but are larger than previously reported ones through conventional methods.
The mechanism which causes the differences between graphite and heptane is
discussed with respect to the reaction process during milling.