Nanostructured Ti Consolidated via Spark Plasma Sintering

Cryomilled nanocrystalline commercially pure (CP)-Ti powders were spark plasma sintered (SPS) using different process parameters (heating rate, temperature, pressure, and dwell time) to study densification, microstructure, and mechanical behavior. The results were rationalized on the basis of the relevant literature and experimental results, and they reveal a strong dependence on SPS parameters. An interesting finding was that the measured high ductility was accompanied by a moderate strength (yield strength [YS] = 770 MPa, ultimate tensile strength [UTS] = 840 MPa with ~27 pct elongation to failure). The combinations of microstructure and mechanical response were attributed to the multistep processing at different temperature ranges as well as to the presence of interstitial solutes.