STTR Phase I: Synthesis and Consolidation of Ultrafine Titanium Carbide

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)第一阶段项目将开发一种低成本的工艺，从其氯化物前驱体合成超细碳化钛(TiC)粉末，并将该粉末与金属粉末一起固化，以生产细晶复合材料。TiC基复合材料广泛应用于高温结构和刀具应用的主要障碍是断裂韧性低和生产成本高。利用低成本、常温机械力化学工艺合成的纳米碳化物粉末制备复合材料，可以同时提高韧性和降低成本。第一阶段将集中于优化参数，这些参数控制(I)机械力化学过程中的反应速度，(Ii)在用硬质TiC球磨制备复合粉末时金属基粉末的粒度，以及(Iii)在固结过程中的颗粒长大。研究的目标是生产出具有成本效益的纳米级复合材料。这一工艺技术有可能成为合成超细金属碳化物粉末的商业技术，用于金属基复合材料和碳化钛刀具等产品。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop a low cost process to synthesize ultrafine titanium carbide (TiC) powder from its chloride precursor and to consolidate this powder, along with metal powders, to produce fine grained composites. Major impediments to the wide spread use of TiC-based composite materials for high temperature structural and cutting tool applications are their low fracture toughness and high cost of production. Increase in toughness and reduction in cost may be achieved simultaneously by producing composites using nanocrystalline carbide powder synthesized by a low cost, ambient temperature mechanochemical process. Phase I will focus on optimizing the parameters which control (i) the reaction rate during the mechanochemical process, (ii) the particle size of metal matrix powders during milling with hard TiC to produce composite powder, and (iii) grain growth during consolidation. The research objective is production of cost-effective composites with a nanoscale grain size.This process technology has potential as a commercial technique for synthesis of ultrafine metal carbide powders used in products like metal matrix composites and titanium carbide cutting tools.