This study by P. A. Lazarev et al. investigates the effects of Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS) and pressing methods in the production of Ti–Al–Mg/Ti-based metal–intermetallic materials. The system, composed of elemental powders, was prepared using exothermic synthesis under 10 MPa pressure, and then the hot product was pressed under 250 MPa pressure.

Findings:

Microstructure and Transition Zone:

The SHS pressing process created an inseparable bond between the metal and intermetallic layers.

The transition zone thickness was found to be at least 15 μm.

Energy dispersive analysis (EDA) revealed that Mg was predominantly found in intergranular layers, indicating that full reaction diffusion did not occur between the Ti–Al and Al–Mg layers.

Mechanical Properties:

The microhardness of Ti–Al grains was measured at 5820 MPa, while the Al–Mg-based matrices showed a microhardness of 3980 MPa.

The hydrostatic density was 3.3 g/cm³, and porosity was below 13%.

The porosity of the Ti–Al–Mg alloy obtained by SHS pressing was reduced by a factor of three.

The study highlights the effectiveness of the SHS pressing process in producing Ti-based metal-intermetallic materials with improved microhardness and reduced porosity, though full reaction diffusion between the layers was not achieved.

For a detailed review, you can access the related study here.