Tribological Properties of Spark Plasma Sintered Ti48Al48Cr2Nb2 Alloy

Abstract

Ti48Al48Cr2Nb2 intermetallic alloy was studied for its tribological properties. The as-received TiAl alloy was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1200 °C for 5 and 7 min using 50 and 100 °C/min heating rates. Wear tests were done on the sintered TiAl under 10 N at room temperature in air. Results showed that an increase in relative density and superior microhardness led to a reduced material loss in the sample sintered for 7.5 min using a 100 °C/min heating rate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the worn surface showed the wear widths and wear marks on the surface of TiAl alloy. The wear track width indicated the degree of wear, and the samples sintered for 7.5 min using a 100 °C/min heating rate showed improvement in wear resistance.