Spark Plasma Sintering of Ultrafine TiCxN1-x Powders Synthesized by a Mechanically Induced Self-Sustaining Reaction

High-purity, nanometer-sized titanium carbonitride powders, TiCxN1-x, were obtained with a mechanically induced self-sustaining reaction (MSR) in a high-energy planetary ball mill from a mixture of titanium and different carbon precursors under a nitrogen atmosphere. A promising method for developing dense TiCxN1-x materials is the coupling of MSR with the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The powders were sintered at different temperatures to provide a completely dense monolithic ceramic (> 99% theoretical density). In this work, the influence of the carbon precursor and SPS treatment on the material microstructures were studied, and the main mechanical properties of the end material were evaluated.