R. G. Maev, E. Leshchinsky, D. Dzhurinskiy, E. Maeva, A. Chertov, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
The FeAl intermetallic compound offers a combination of attractive properties such as a high specific strength, good strength at intermediate temperatures and an excellent corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures under oxidizing, carburing and sulfidizing atmospheres. So they have attracted considerable attention as potential candidates for structural and coatings applications at elevated temperatures in hostile environments. However, commercialization of these intermetallics has been limited due to their low ductility at room temperature and low mechanical strength above 600oC. A main approach for improving their ductility is by reducing the crystallite size to the nanometer range. The aim of this paper is to present first results of FeAl intermetallic nanocrystalline compound synthesis with new technique. A combination of Cold spraying (CS) and Resistance Spot Weld Sintering (RSWS) is used. A CS deposit is built up by the successive impact of individual powder particles that are the ‘‘building blocks’’ of the deposit. RSWS is shown to use microscopic electric discharges between the particles under pressure and to reduce significantly the synthesis and densification temperatures, limiting thereby the grain growth. The microstructures and properties of the sintered products were characterized by SEM, TEM and micromechanical tests to define structure and properties formation mechanisms. Application prospects will be discussed as well.
Summary: The first results of FeAl intermetallic nanocrystalline compound synthesis with new technique is presented
