Influence of B source materials on the synthesis of TiB₂-Al₂O₃ nanocomposite powders by mechanical alloying

Abstract

An Al₂O₃-TiB₂ nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by ball milling of Al, TiO₂ and two B source materials of B₂O₃ (system (1)) and H₃BO₃ (system (2)). Phase identification of the milled samples was examined by Xray diffraction. The morphology and microstructure of the milled powders were monitored by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the formation of this composite was completed after 15 and 30 h of milling time in systems (1) and (2), respectively. More milling energy was required for the formation of this composite in system (2) due to the lubricant properties of H₃BO₃ and also its decomposition to HBO₂ and B₂O₃ during milling. On the basis of X-ray diffraction patterns and thermodynamic calculations, this composite was formed by highly exothermic mechanically induced self-sustaining reactions (MSR) in both systems. The MSR mode took place around 9 h and 25 h of milling in systems (1) and (2), respectively. At the end of milling (15 h for system (1) and 30 h for system (2)) the grain size of about 35–50 nm was obtained in both systems.

Keywords

nanocomposites / powders / alumina / titanium diboride / mechanical alloying

References

[1] Hausner HH. Titanium Metallurgy in Modern Materials Advances in Development and Application, 1960, 2, 225

[2] Liu GX, Yan DM, Zhang JY. Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiB₂-Al₂O₃ composites. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol. Mater. Sci. Ed., 2011, 26(4): 696.

[3] Koh YH, Yong SL, Kim HE. Oxidation behavior of titanium boride at elevated temperatures. J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2001, 84(1): 239.

[4] Li LH, Kim HE, Kang ES. Sintering and mechanical properties of titanium diboride with aluminum nitride as a sintering aid. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2002, 22(6): 973.

[5] Meyers MA, Olevsky EA, Ma J, Jamet M. Combustion synthesis/densification of an Al₂O₃-TiB₂ composite. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2001, 311(1–2): 83.

[6] Merzhanov AG. History and recent developments in SHS. Ceram. Int., 1995, 21(5): 371.

[7] Zhu HG, Wang HZ, Ge LQ, Chen S, Wu SQ. Formation of composites fabricated by exothermic dispersion reaction in Al, TiO₂, B₂O₃ system. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2007, 17(3): 590.

[8] Khaghani-Dehaghani MA, Ebrahimi-Kahrizsangi R, Setoudeh N, Nasiri- B. Tabrizi, Mechanochemical synthesis of Al₂O₃-TiB₂nanocomposite powder from Al, TiO₂, H₃BO₃ mixture. Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 2011, 29(2): 244.

[9] Sharifi E M, Karimzadeh F, Enayati MH. Synthesis of titanium diboride reinforced alumina matrix nanocomposite by mechanochemical reaction of Al, TiO₂, B₂O₃. J. Alloys Compd., 2010, 502(2): 508.

[10] Suryanarayana C, Ivanov E, Boldyrev VV. The science and technology of mechanical alloying. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2001, 304, 151.

[11] Surianarayana C. Recent developments in mechanical alloying. Rev. Adv. Mater. Sci., 2008, 18(1): 203

[12] Yadav TP, Yadav RM, Singh DP. Mechanical milling: a top down approach for the synthesis of nanomaterials and nanocomposites. Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 2012, 2(3): 22.

[13] Rietveld HM. A profile refinement method for nuclear and magnetic structures. J. Appl. Crystallogr., 1969, 2, 65.

[14] Brandes EA, Brook GB. Smithells Metals Reference Book, 1992, London, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., 87

[15] Takacs L. Self-sustaining reactions induced by ball milling. Prog. Mater. Sci., 2002, 47(4): 355.

[16] Takacs L, Balž P, Torosyan AR. Ball millinginduced reduction of MoS₂ with Al. J. Mater. Sci., 2006, 41(21): 7033.

[17] Kuznetsov AY, Pereira AS, Shiryaev AA, Haines J, Dubrovinsky L, Dmitriev V, Pattison P, Guignot N. Structural changes and pressure-induced chemical decomposition of boric acid. J. Phys. Chem. B., 2006, 110(28): 13858.

[18] Suryanarayana C. Mechanical alloying and milling. Prog. Mater. Sci., 2001, 46(1–2): 1.

[19] Yan L, Ruoff RS, Chang R. Boric acid nanotubes, nanotips, nanorods, microtubes and microtips. Chem. Mater., 2003, 15(17): 3276.

[20] Mukhanov VA, Kurakevich OO, Solozhenko VL. On the hardness of boron (III) oxide. J. Superhard Mater., 2008, 30(1): 71

[21] Trapp J, Kieback B. Solid-state reactions during highenergy milling of mixed powders. Acta Mater., 2013, 61(1): 310.