ti-cu alloy

Microwave sintering has emerged as a promising technique for the fabrication of Ti-based alloys, offering unique advantages over conventional sintering methods. The selective and volumetric heating capabilities of microwaves can result in rapid densification, microstructural refinement, and enhanced properties in Ti-Cu alloy systems. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize an intermetallic alloy of Ti-50 at. % Cu through high-energy mechanical milling and a microwave-assisted sintering method. The objective was to expedite the sintering process of the Ti-Cu alloy using microwave assistance and analyze how this method influences the phases formed and the properties of the alloy. A Ti-50 at. % Cu powder mixture was milled for 30 hours under an argon atmosphere, then uniaxially compacted to form green samples, which were subsequently sintered by microwave heating. This method allowed for rapid consolidation without significant grain growth within a short sintering period. The effects of the sintering method and temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. The density of the sintered samples increased with rising temperatures, with the highest density of 6.54 g/cm³ obtained at 900°C. Microstructural examination revealed that the Ti3Cu4 and TiCu phases primarily formed, with an average grain size of approximately 28 nm. A high micro-hardness of ~880 HV was achieved for the dense alloy prepared using this method.

This study investigated the flowability and compactability of the milled Ti-Cu alloys as a new version of biomedical alloys used for fabrication via Additive Manufacturing. In this study, Ti- 50 at. % Cu powder was first milled for different durations, and the morphology, microhardness, size, flowability, and compactability of the powder were assessed. The results indicated that while flowability increased with prolonged milling time, compressibility decreased owing to a decrease in the plastic deformation capacity. The highest flowability level was obtained when hard TiCu phase was synthesized after 30 hours of milling. Different linear and nonlinear compaction equations were used to investigate the densification response of TiCu powder in a rigid mold during uniaxial compression. Cooper-Eaton nonlinear equation was found to be the best fit compared to the linear equation. The contribution of particle rearrangement to the densification behavior was high, and it increased upon increasing the applied pressure. At pressures below 1200 MPa, the contribution of plastic deformation to the powder densification was negligible.