The formation of titanium aluminides from the elemental powders has been in
vestigated. A traditional powder metallurgy route of compaction (by cold is
ostatic pressing, hot pressing or hot extrusion) followed by heat treatment
was compared with the novel technique of hot extrusion reaction synthesis
(HERS). The products from these different production methods were character
ised by x-ray diffraction and microscopy (light and scanning electron). The
intermetallic compound formed under most processing conditions was TiAl3.
Only when there was a rapid increase in temperature to high temperatures, a
s found in induction heating of compacts or in HERS, were the compounds Ti3
Al and TiAl formed. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.