INNOVATIVE PROCESSING TO PRODUCE ADVANCED INTERMETALLIC MATERIALS

THERE IS AN INSATIABLE DEMAND FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE, LIGHT WEIGHT, STRONG AND DUCTILE MATERIALS IN HEAT ENGINE AND STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS. INTERMETALLICS SUCH AS TI3A1 OFFER A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVED HIGH TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OVER CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART NICKEL BASE SUPERALLOYS AND TITANIUM ALLOYS. HOWEVER, TI3A1 BASE MATERIALS WITH SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED DUCTILITY, STRENGTH, OXIDATION AND CREEP RESISTANCE HAVE NOTBEEN FULLY DEVELOPED. GRAIN REFINING, MICRO-AND MACROALLYING AND REINFORCING OF TI3A1 INTERMETALLICS ARE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVE HIGH TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF TI3A1. THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM UTILIZES ARF THERMAL PLASMA TECHNIQUE TO SYNTHESIZE ULTRAFINE (10-50 NM) AND ULTRAPURE TI3A1 POWDERS. THE PRODUCTION MECHANISM IS ALUMINUM REDUCTION OF TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE IN AN ARGON HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASMA (10000K). MICRO- AND MACROALLOYING OF TI3A1 WILL ALSO BE CARRIED OUT IN THE PLASMA REACTOR SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE SYNTHESIS OF TI3A1 POWDERS. REINFORCED TI3A1 COMPOSITES WILL ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. A TI3A1 BASE ALLOY AND COMPOSITE WITH IMPROVED DUCTILITY AND HIGH TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES WILL RESULT FROM THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM.