A novel Fe–Cr–Nb matrix composite containing the TiB2 neutron absorber synthesized by mechanical alloying and final hot isostatic pressing (HIP) in the Ti-tubing

The Fe–Cr–Ti-Nb elemental powders were mechanically alloyed/ball milled with TiB2 and a small quantity of Y2O3 ceramic to synthesize a novel Fe-based alloy-ceramic powder composite that could be processed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) for a perceived potential application as a neutron absorber in nuclear reactors. After ball milling for the 30–80 h duration relatively uniform powders with micrometric sizes were produced. With increasing milling time a fraction of TiB2 particles became covered with the much softer Fe-based alloy which resulted in the formation of a characteristic “core-mantel” structure. For the final HIP-ing process the mechanically alloyed powders were initially uniaxially pressed into rod-shaped compacts and then cold isostatically pressed (CIP-ed). Subsequently, the rod-shaped compacts were placed in the Ti-tubing and subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at 1150 °C/200 MPa pressure. The HIP-ing process resulted in the formation of the near-Ti and intermediate diffusional layers in the microstructure of HIP-ed samples which formed in accord with the Fe-Ti binary phase diagram. Those layers contain the phases such as α-Ti (HCP), the FeTi intermetallic and their hypo-eutectoid mixtures. In addition, needle-like particles were formed in both layers in accord with the Ti-B binary phase diagram. Nanohardness testing, using a Berkovich type diamond tip, shows that the nanohardness in the intermediate layer areas, corresponding to the composition of the hypo-eutectoid mixture of Ti-FeTi, equals 980.0 (±27.1) HV and correspondingly 1176.9 (±47.6) HV for the FeTi phase. The nanohardness in the sample's center in the areas with the fine mixture of Fe-based alloy and small TiB2 particles equals 1048.3 (±201.8) HV. The average microhardness of samples HIP-ed from powders milled for 30 and 80 h is 588 HV and 733 HV, respectively.