Synthesis of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with nano-TiN microstructure via spark plasma sintering technique

The effect of nano-TiN dispersion strengthened Ti-6Al-4V via spark plasma sintering method has been investigated. Ti-6Al-4V with 4 vol. percent of nano-TiN were mixed in a Turbula shaker mixer for 8 h at a speed of 49 rpm and the admixed powders were sintered at sintering temperature range of 1000 - 1100 degrees C, holding time of 10-30 mins, heating rate of 100 degrees C/min under an applied pressure of 50 MPa. The morphology of the as-received and sintered compacts was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and phase analysis was done by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The sintered compacts without nano-TiN reveal lamellar structure while reinforced Ti-6Al-4V with nano-TiN shows a bimodal structure and titanium nitride has a great influence on a grain growth at high temperature. Furthermore, the microstructural formation mechanism was investigated. With the addition of the content of Ti-6Al-4V with 4 vol.% of nano-TiN, the micro-hardness also improved and this was due to homogenous distribution of TiN in Ti-6Al-4V matrix.