Preparation and study of Ni–Al–O system cermet composites with a small addition of MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles

The paper presents the  results of obtaining and  studying the  structure and  properties of cermets based on powders of aluminum oxide and  nickel-aluminum alloy doped with 0.1  wt.% of aluminum-magnesium spinel nanoparticles sintered by the electrospark method on the FCT-HP D 25 unit in argon at t = 1470°C for 30 min. The results of the NiAl–65Al₂O₃ charge TG and  DSC analysis at up to 1300°C are presented. It is found that MgAl₂O₄ spinel in the form of individual nanoparticles (60 nm) or aggregates (less than 700  nm) are present along the grain boundaries of the composite. Internal friction studies at t = 20÷900°C and  high-temperature X-ray phase analysis at t = 700,  800  and  900°C were carried out to describe strength properties degradation mechanisms of the developed materials. The effect of nanoparticles on the internal friction of the composite within Δt = 20÷900°C in the NiAl–65Al₂O₃–0.1MgAl₂O₄ system is shown. Potential mechanisms for cermet strength properties degradation with increasing temperature are discussed. It is suggested that the appearance of extrema on internal friction curves at high temperatures can be caused by shifted phase boundaries of intermetallic compounds and  the oxide component due to different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE).

A positive effect of doping with spinel nanoparticles on the short-term heat resistance of cermets at t = 750°C is found. The study of short-term heat resistance at t = 750°C showed that  the sample with nanoparticles is more stable than  the unmodified sample, which can be associated with the influence of interfacial hardening zones formed around nanoparticles according to the Obraztsov– Lurie–Belov theory and  a number of studies carried out on metal matrices.

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