Investigation the effect of B₄C addition on properties of TZM alloy prepared by spark plasma sintering

TZM alloy is one of the most important molybdenum (Mo) based alloy which has a nominal composition containing 0.5-0.8 wt.% titanium (Ti), 0.08-0.1 wt.% zirconium (Zr) and 0.016-0.02 wt.% carbon (C). It is a possible candidate for high temperature applications in a variety of industries. However, the rapid oxidation of TZM alloys at high temperature in air is considered to be one of the drawback. In this study, TZM alloys with additions of 0-5 wt.% B₄C were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1420 °C utilizing 40 MPa pressure for 5 min under vacuum. The effects of B₄C addition on oxidation, densification behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties were investigated. The TZM alloy with 5 wt.% B₄C have exhibited an approximately 66% reduction in mass loss under normal atmospheric conditions in oxidation tests made at 1000 °C for 60 min. And an increase from 1.9 GPa to 7.8 GPa has been determined in hardness of the alloy.