Ti-27Nb-8Mo beta alloy developed by electric resistance sintering

ECAS (Electric Current Assisted Sintering) brings together a family of consolidation methods that combine mechanical pressure and electric and thermal fields to improve the bond and densification of particles. Within the processes of pressure assisted sintering, the ERS (Electric Resistance Sintering) is characterised by a low energy input combined with high current density resulting in a very quick densification process. However, there is not much research about complex alloys developed through this technique. This work presents the development of a β-Ti alloy (Ti-27Nb-8Mo) densified by the ERS technique, evaluating the influence of time and current density on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy. The microstructure has been characterized by XRD, SEM and EBSD. The elastic modulus, the flexural strength and the microhardness have been determined to evaluate the mechanical properties. The results indicate that higher current densities tend to melt the material in the center of the sample, producing a greater number of pores and micropores, and intermediate current densities have a better relation between densification, porosity and mechanical properties.