THE CONSOLIDATION OF QUASICRYSTALLINE POWDER UNDER SUPERHIGH PRESSURE'
(Central South University of Technology, Changsha 410083, China)
Abstract: Al-based quasicrystalline powders were consolidated by a new technique. This paper describes the consolidation process and the properties of bulk quasicrystalline materials. The bulk, dense, full quasicrystalline samples were obtained by means of consolidating quasicrystalline powders at superhigh pressure below their crystallizing temperature or at low temperture. At superhigh pressure, the thermal stability of the quasicrystalline powders increased, while the quasicrystalline powders containing some crystalline phases,were purified, that the crystalline phases disappeared and the amount of quasicrystalling phases increased. Besides,the consolidated materials possessed high strength and were free from flaws and Mach holes caused by shock waves; therefore, this method is better than the explosion consolidation technique.
Key words: powder metallurgy, compaction/rapid solidification, quasicrystals