Structural, physical, and mechanical properties of Al₂O₃-NbC composite obtained by hot pressing and spark plasma sintering

Abstract

In this study, we produced, through hot pressing (HP) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) techniques, Al₂O₃-NbC composites for applications in machining processes. We report an experimental investigation of sintered composites’ structural, thermal, morphological, physical, and mechanical properties. The results confirm that the Al₂O₃-NbC composite sintered by both techniques presents a heterogeneous microstructure with distinct grain sizes and irregular geometries. Another stimulating factor is the increase of 25.86% in Vickers hardness, 14.89% in Young’s modulus, and 16.52% in mechanical strength of the composite sintered by SPS about the composite sintered by HP. Thus, our results can be used to address material properties targeting the needs of specific technological applications.

Keywords:
alumina; niobium carbide; hot pressing; spark plasma sintering; mechanical properties