Comparative viability of processing routes for intermetallic based materials

AbstractProcessing routes for intermetallic based materials are briefly surveyed and compared. For monolithic intermetallics the two main factors determining process routes both derive from the low room temperature ductility of most intermetallics. They are the need to maintain material cleanness, thus reducing fracture initiation sites, and the desire to achieve fine grain size to seek to improve ductility. For the titanium based aluminides there is also a need to minimise interstitial, particularly oxygen, pick-up during processing. For intermetallic based composites, a broad range of processes is already being investigated. In many of these, issues of cleanness may be more difficult to control than for the monolithic composites. With continuous fibre reinforced composites a further process impetus is the need to control interfacial interactions between the fibre and the matrix.MST/1560