Synthesis of Al₂O₃-Ni₃Al Cermets by Room-Temperature Ball Milling of Al, Ni and Al₂O₃ Mixtures

Abstract

The synthesis of Al2O3-Ni3Al cermets with interpenetrating networks has been performed via a pressureless reactive sintering process. The synthesis has been induced by means of a solidstate reaction of Al + Ni + Al2O3 powders under intensive ball milling. The mixtures have been heat treated in an inert atmosphere (N2) in order to control the exothermic reaction between Ni and Al, with special care at temperatures near the melting point of Al. Dense and homogeneous microstructures have been obtained, composed by a matrix of Al2O3 reinforced with a Ni3Al intermetallic. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that such a cermet can be fabricated by in situ reaction synthesis. This suggests that a pressureless reaction sintering process may be a general route to synthesizing cermets with the prospect for the production of cermets with interpenetrating networks.