Explosion synthesis of Ti5Si3-Cu intermetallic compound

Synthesis of an intermetallic compound based on Ti5Si3 by an explosive compaction of elemental powders was studied with the detonation velocity as the main experimental variable. Prior to the explosion experiment, a computer simulation of the compaction process was conducted by using the DYNA program, and the result was utilized in designing the experiment. The relative density of the compacted compound increased with the detonation velocity. To enhance the density of the compound further, however, it was necessary to adjust other variables associated with the can, powder, and the backup tube. From an X-ray diffraction analysis of the explosion-compacted compound, it was confirmed that formation of the Ti5Si3 phase was complete. Although there is a room for further improvement of the density and the crack resistance of the compacted alloy, the present work verified that explosion synthesis is a potentially viable method to consolidate intermetallic compounds.