Abstract
The objective of this research was to commence work on the spark plasma sintering (SPS) of Al–Sc alloys in an effort to develop fundamental data in this area. In this precursory study, a series of binary systems containing 0.1 to 0.4wt% Sc were processed in laboratory and industrial-scale equipment. Data revealed that all powders were responsive to SPS in both scenarios and that sintering temperature was a variable of critical importance. Hardness of as-sintered products scaled directly with Sc concentration but varied inversely with SPS temperature owing to in-situ aging of the raw powders. Hardness losses could be recovered through a post-SPS heat treatment into the T6 condition. Industrially processed slugs of Al-0.4Sc-T6 exhibited full densification and offered the highest hardness (786+/−8MPa). This was accompanied by a nominal tensile yield strength of 197MPa, UTS of 226MPa and tensile ductility of 11%.
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