Structure formation in a titanium-nickel alloy of eutectic composition

The mechanism of structure formation in a titanium-nickel alloy of eutectic composition during sintering consists in the dissolution of nickel particles in a titanium matrix, which leads to the formation of the intermetallic compound TiNi and generation of pores, in TiNi → Ti2Ni transition, and in the appearance, at β-Ti/Ti2Ni contacts, of a liquid, which crystallizes in the form of a eutectic at a temperature below 1228°K and undergoes eutectoid decomposition at a temperature below 1043°K. Produced by sintering in the presence of a solid and a liquid phase, the alloy is characterized by high density, strength, and hardness. Its angle of contact on diamond during heating to 1523°K is ∿72°. In order to be able to use such an alloy in diamond-containing composites, it will be necessary to lower its sintering temperature and increase its adhesion to diamond.