Bulk orientational anisotropy without spatial anisotropy due to powder compaction in Al–Ti–B compacts

Powder processing of materials typically uses uniaxial compression in the powder-compaction step and might thereby make anisotropic compacts out of initially isotropic powders. Our objective in this study was to ascertain and quantitatively characterize this possible anisotropy in green compacts of Al–Ti–B powder mixtures of three compositions, prepared from elemental powders (having irregular particle shapes), with a view to identifying pitfalls and commercial exploitability. The compacts unexceptionally showed negligible bulk spatial anisotropy but significant anisotropy due to particle reorientation.