A FUNDAMENTAL INVESTIGATION INTO PARTICLE AND SHAPE CONTROL DURING SHS REACTIONS

THERE IS A GROWING MARKET IN THE POWDER METALLURGY INDUSTRY FOR INTERMETALLIC POWDER WITH FINE PARTICLE SIZE AND GOOD COMPOSITIONAL CONTROL. A PROCESS TERMED PLASMA INITIATED SELF PROPAGATING HIGH TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS (PSHS) IS PRESENTLY BEING DEVELOPED TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR SUCH POWDERS. HOWEVER, FOR SUCH A PROCESS TO COMPETE AGAINST THE EXISTING POWDER MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES WOULD REQUIRE A DEMONSTRATED CONTROL OVER PARTICLE SHAPE, SIZE, AND PURITY. WHILE THE ABILITY TO SYNTHESIZE A WIDE RANGE OF INTERMETALLICS WITH GOOD COMPOSITIONAL CONTROL HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED, THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES TO CONTROL SUCH PARTICLE SIZE AND MORPHOLOGY IS CURRENTLY UNDER PROGRESS. BASED ON OBSERVATIONS TO DATE AND DATA TO BE ACQUIRED FURTHER, A REALISTIC REACTION-BASED MODEL FOR THE PROCESS IS BEING DEVELOPED. THIS MODEL WILL IMPROVE THE CONTROL OVER THE PSHS PROCESS SIGNIFICANTLY TO INCREASE ITS COMMERCIAL VIABILITY.