Papers by Author: Eric Gaffet

Abstract: Two promising powder metallurgy (PM) processes were used for the fabrication of NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA): Mechanically Activated Reactive FOrging Synthesis (MARFOS) and Mechanically Activated Reactive Extrusion Synthesis (MARES). In these two processes, equimolar powder mixtures of elemental Ni and Ti are first mechanically activated and then forged/extruded at relatively low temperature. Afterwards, heat treatments are used to promote homogenization and to adjust the composition of the NiTi matrix. When MARFOS and MARES processes are compared some differences have been observed but only in relation to the extent of phase transformation and to the degree of densification. The crystallite size was less than 100 nm for all the phases which indicates nanostructured materials and multi-step martensitic transformations could be observed in heat treated materials.

Abstract: This study reports the use of X-ray diffraction quantitative phase analyses in NiTi alloys produced by MARES (Mechanically Activated Reactive Extrusion Synthesis). These analyses were performed with the PowderCell 2.4 software. The mechanically activated powders heated in a DTA furnace at 500 °C had as main phases Ni (27 wt %) and Ti (30 wt %) and the major intermetallic phase was Ni3Ti (20 wt %). Above 500 °C the intermetallic phases were predominant. At 600 °C the major phase was Ni3Ti (29 wt %) and at 700 °C was NiTi2 (32 wt %). In this temperature range the NiTi was a minor intermetallic phase (14-20 wt %). No changes in the constitution or in the amount of the phases were detected between the degassed powder samples and the extruded materials. The intermetallic phases were always predominant and the major was Ni3Ti (27-32 wt %). The NiTi phase content was in a range of 15-22 wt %. The weighted residual error, Rwp, of the fittings ranged between 17 and 27. Using the Williamson and Hall plot, crystallite sizes within the range of 26-53 nm and of 12-25 nm were evaluated for the metallic and intermetallic phases, respectively. Vickers micro-hardness measurements were virtually unchanged with the extrusion parameters but increased relatively to the mechanically activated powders.

Abstract: Granulated nanostructured alumina/titania and alumina/zirconia powders were used to achieve coatings by atmospheric plasma spraying. Raw materials and mechanically activated ceramic mixtures (alumina with 13wt% and 44wt% of titania or 40wt% and 80wt% of zirconia) have been considered to produce the sprayable powders. Effects of various plasma spray conditions (primary Ar and secondary H2 gas flow rates, arc intensity) on the microstructure, phase content and microhardness of the coatings have been evaluated. It has been shown by SEM observations that the coatings exhibit a lamellar structure consisting in fully melted and partially melted areas including porosity, ranging from 10 to 30vol.%. The phase changes (from αAl2O3 to γAl2O3, from anatase to rutile for TiO2, Al2TiO5) or structural changes that occur during the plasma spraying of the nanostructured powders were investigated by XRD and related to the processing conditions and in turn to the amount of unmelted powder.

Abstract: The use of mechanical activation (the elemental powder mixture is milled for a short time at given frequency and impact energy) as a precursor to self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) results in the formation of nanostructured porous materials. The mechanical activation step was found necessary (i) to modify the thermal parameters of the combustion front (i.e. combustion front velocity, thermal heating rate…) in the cases of Mo-Si, Fe-Al, Ni-Si (ii) to initiate a combustion front in the case of systems having a low exothermicity. Nevertheless, the control of the mechanically activated mixture characteristics and, the understanding of the mechanical activation role on the SHS parameters are essential to produce end-products with expected microstructure.

Abstract: Superior properties of nanostructured Al2O3 based materials, such as higher hardness and fracture toughness, have been evidenced. In order to optimize their manufacturing, the mechanical activation of the starting powders (Al2O3-TiO2 and Al2O3-ZrO2) was studied. In the present work, Al2O3 powders blended with 13wt% and 44wt% of titania or 20wt% and 80wt% of yttria partially stabilized zirconia have been high-energy ball-milled using a planetary mill, P4 (Fritsch) with steel vials and balls. The effect of the milling time and operating parameters, such as shock energy and friction to total energy ratio, on the powder structural and microstructural evolutions has been determined by SEM, XRD and BET. The transformation of the metastable anatase TiO2 phase into the high pressure TiO2 II phase and rutile phase was evidenced, simultaneously to the decrease of the alumina crystallite size, in the Al2O3-TiO2 system. In the Al2O3-ZrO2 system, the transformation of the monoclinic phase and the decrease of the alumina and tetragonal zirconia crystallite size have been observed.