Effect of Powder Characteristics on the Sinterability of Titanium Nitride Materials

Abstract

High hardness, good thermal and electrical conductivities make titanium nitride technologically important material. The high melting point and low self-diffusion coefficient make it difficult to obtain fully dense material. In this paper the results of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) of TiN from micropowders, TiN from nanopowders and TiN micro with 10 wt.% of nano TiN are presented. Morphology and phase composition of starting powders was analyzed. The powders were uniaxially pressed at 35 MPa for 5 minutes. Sintering temperature was in the range from 1200°C up to 2200°C. Relative density ranged from 88%-97% for samples from micropowders and 81%-87% for nanopowder samples. The highest relative density (99%) was achieved for samples with addition of nanopowders. The addition of 10 wt.% TiN nanopowders allows to improve properties of obtained TiN materials and decreased temperature of sintering.