Preparation and scratch test of AlMgB14 modified by TiB2

Abstract

In this paper, the AlMgB14 and AlMgB14–TiB2 composites were synthesized by means of mechanical alloying and the field-activated and pressure-assisted synthesis process. The effect of temperature and pressure on the purity and property of products was discussed. The results show that the process of preparing AlMgB14 bulk materials is optimized as follows: synthesis temperature 1,400–1,500 °C, heating rate 100 °C·min−1, axial pressure 60 MPa, heat preservation 8–10 min, optimum starting powders’ ratio Al: Mg: B = 0.1915:0.1363:0.6722, and adding excessive 3 wt% Al. The abrasion resistance of AlMgB14 composites with varying amounts of TiB2 was studied using single-point diamond scratch tests with loads ranging from 10 to 100 N in 10 N increments. The scratch width increases almost linearly with the applied load and decreases with TiB2 proportion increasing up to 70 wt%. With its advantages of fast heating, short reaction time, energy conservation, and high purity, this method offers a new way to synthesize AlMgB14 and AlMgB14–TiB2 composites.