High-Energy Ball Milling and Sintering of Ti-2Ta-22Si-11B and Ti-6Ta-22Si-11B Powders Mixtures

The milling process of elemental Ti-2Ta-22Si-11B and Ti-6Ta-22Si-11B (at-%) powder mixtures were performed in a planetary Fritsch P-5 ball mill using stainless steel vials (225 mL) and hardened steel balls (19 mm diameter). Ball-to-powder weight ratio of 10:1 and a rotary speed of 300 rpm were adopted, varying the milling time. Wet milling (isopropyl alcohol) for 20 more minutes was used to increase the yield powder in to the vial. Following the Ti-Ta-Si-B powders milled for 600 min were heat-treated at 1100°C for 1 h in order to obtain the equilibrium structures. The milled powders and heat-treated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. Supersaturated Ti solid solutions were formed during ball milling of Ti-Ta-Si-B powders while that the Ti5Si3 phase was formed after milling for 620 min of the Ta-richer powder mixture only. The particles sizes were initially increased during the initial milling times, and the wet milling provided the yield powder into the vials. A large amount of pores was found in both the sintered samples which presented the formation of the TiSS,(ss-solid solution) Ti6Si2B and TiB.