Production of Al-Al3Ti powders by mechanical alloying and annealing

Mixed powders of Al and Ti (10 wt-%) have been mechanically alloyed in an attritor mill under vacuum or nitrogen atmosphere. Pure aluminium powders have also been prepared, in the same conditions, for comparison. After milling for 10 h, a metastable solution of Ti in an Al matrix is obtained, with similar to 9 wt-%Ti dissolved in the matrix. The evolution of these powders during milling is reported. Their thermal stability has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), identifying the observed changes by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Annealing of these powders at different temperatures, up to a maximum of 625 degrees C, produces the precipitation of new phases, such as Al4C3 and different structures of Al3Ti, as well as grain growth. The appearance of these second phases, and their influence on powder microhardness, has been characterised as a function of the selected heat treatment temperature.