Composite NiCr-CrxCy powders obtained by activated high temperature synthesis
Krzysztof Szymański, Bolesław Formanek, Grzegorz Moskal Politechnika Śląska, Katedra Nauki o Materiałach, ul. Krasińskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice
Quarterly No. 4, 2006 pages 56-61
DOI:
keywords: composite powder, chromium carbide, high temperature synthesis
abstract The introduction to the problems raised under the research presents the characteristics of the Cr-C equilibrium system (Fig. 1) and of the method of chromium carbides synthesis. The paper describes the material and technological concepts related to the fabrication of composite CrxCy-NiCr powders in an activated high-temperature synthesis from mechanically homogenized mixtures of initial powders of chromium, soot, nichrome and activators (Fig. 2). It was assumed that the implemented research conception was supposed to be economically viable and effective in terms of its technological aspects. Activators of the synthesis process of Na2CO3, CrO3 carbides and their mixture were used. Powder mixtures for the synthesis were prepared in a rotary-vibration mill. The structure and phase composition of the powders were determined by scanning microscopy and X-ray examination methods. The chemical composition of the mixtures and the carbides’ synthesis parameters are shown in Table 2. The morphology of the powder agglomerates used for the synthesis is presented in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The synthesis processes were conducted at a temperature of 1000÷1200°C in containers with protective atmosphere. Diffraction patterns of the synthesized carbide powders are presented in Figures 8, 11 and 14. The phase composition of the synthesized powders, identified by a large amount of characteristic peaks on the diffraction patterns, corroborates the right selection of process parameters. The synthesized powders were mixed with the NiCr powder and next, comminuted in a rotary-vibration mill. The structure of the NiCr-Cr3C2 powder is presented in Figures 15. The technology developed allows the fabrication of composite powders of a dispersion structure of chromium carbides in a nichrome matrix.