Variation in the particle size of FE–TI–B4C powders induced by high-voltage electrical discharge

The effect of high-voltage electrical discharge (ED) on the particle size of Fe–Ti–B4C powders in a hydrocarbon liquid is studied. It is shown that high-voltage ED allows significant refinement of the powders. The important factors are integral processing energy and pressure in the discharge channel. A relationship between the integral processing energy and decrease in the average diameter of micropowder particles is found. It is shown that the average particle size monotonically decreases up to a certain value of integral processing energy. The use of high-voltage ED for the refinement of micropowders permits significant reduction in time and energy needed to reach the desired particle size compared with other methods.