Synthesis of γ-TiAl by Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering of Cryomilled Ti and Al Powder Blend, Part I: Influence of Processing and Microstructural Evolution

To provide insight into the influence of an electric field on the kinetics of diffusion, fully lamellar γ-TiAl was processed by a rapid, two-stage, solid-state reactive sintering via spark plasma sintering (SPS) of a cryomilled Ti, Al powder blend. Cryomilling was implemented in the current study to attain a nanostructured grain size in the Ti and Al powder blend, and thereby provide insight into the influence of grain size on the underlying diffusion kinetics. Following a two-step process involving SPS at 873 K (600 °C) for 15 minutes and 1523 K (1250 °C) for 30 minutes, a fully lamellar TiAl alloy, with submicron lamellar spacing, was successfully obtained. Microstructural refinement in the Ti and Al powders during cryomilling led to an increase in solid-state diffusion, and the underlying mechanisms are discussed in detail.