DEVELOPMENT OF PLASMA SYNTHESIS TO PRODUCE PRE-ALLOYED ULTRAFINE INTERMETALLIC ALUMINIDE POWDERS FOR INJECTION MOLDING

INTERMETALLIC ALUMINIDES OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE BECAUSE OF THEIR STRENGTH AND MODULUS RETENTION WITH TEMPERATURE, OXIDATION RESISTANCE AND LIGHTWEIGHT. IF INTERMETALLIC ALUMINIDES COULD BE INJECTION MOLDED THEIR USE WOULD BE FURTHER EXPANDED. PRESENT POWDER PRODUCTION DOES NOT PRODUCE ACCEPTABLE POWDER FOR INJECTION MOLDING. INJECTION MOLDING REQUIRES SPHERICAL, UNIFORM POWDER SIZES <20U DIAMETER. IN CURSORY RESEARCH IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED A PLASMA SYNTHESIS USING CHEMICAL PRECURSORS AND A PLASMA INITIATED SOLID STATE REACTION PRODUCED SPHERICAL ULTRAFINE TITANIUM AND NICKEL ALUMINIDE PARTICLES. THESE PROCESSE WILL BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED TO PRODUCE PRE-ALLOYED ULTRAFINE INTERMETALLIC PARTICLES AND UTILIZED FOR INJECTION MOLDING EVALUATION. COMPARATIVE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS WILL BE PERFORMED FOR SELECTING ONE PROCESS FOR SCALE-UP IN PHASE II.