Simultaneous Synthesis and Rapid Consolidation of Nanostructured (Ti,Mo)C and Its Mechanical Properties

Nanocrystalline materials have recently received significant attention in the area of advanced materials engineering due to their improved physical and mechanical properties. A solid-solution nanocrystalline powder, (Ti,Mo)C, was prepared via high-energy milling of Ti-Mo alloys with graphite. Using XRD data, the synthesis process was investigated in terms of the phase evolution. Rapid sintering of nanostuctured (Ti,Mo)C hard materials was performed using a pulsed current activated sintering process (PCAS). This process allows quick densification to near theoretical density and inhibits grain growth. A dense, nanostructured (Ti,Mo)C hard material with a relative density of up to 96 % was produced by simultaneous application of 80 MPa and a pulsed current for 2 min. The average grain size of the (Ti,Mo)C was lower than 150 nm. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense (Ti,Mo)C produced by PCAS were also evaluated. The fracture toughness of the (Ti,Mo)C was higher than that of TiC.