Fabrication of Mg-Ti by MA-SPS process and its properties

Abstract

Pure magnesium (Mg) powders together with pure titanium (Ti) powders were mechanically alloyed (MAed) using a vibration ball mill. Stearic acid was used as process control agent (PCA) for the mechanical alloying (MA) process. The MAed powders were consolidated into bulk materials by the spark plasma sintering (SPS). Changes in hardness and solid-state reactions of the MAed powders and the SPS materials have been examined by hardness measurements and an X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The Vickers hardness of the MAed powders increased to 58 HV after MA 8 h. No solid-state reactions were observed in MAed powders. The Vickers hardness of the SPS materials fabricated from MA 8 h Mg-10 mass%Ti powders reached to 76 HV. Formation of TiH2 by solid-state reaction was observed for the SPS materials, but TiH2 did not act as a strengthening phase. The Vickers hardness of the SPS materials improved by increasing sintering temperature, but not improved by increasing the amount of titanium. Mg-Ti system of hardness can be improved by MA-SPS process.