Improved mechanical properties of AgTiB2 contact materials reinforced by the TiB2 loaded with ZnO nanorods

The TiB2 loaded with nano-sized ZnO rods were synthesized by sol-gel method, and the Ag-4wt.%TiB2-xwt.%ZnO (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5) contact materials were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The results revealed that the ZnO nanorods with the dimensions of about Phi 130 x 400 nm were uniformly loaded on the surface of TiB2 particles. The incorporation of ZnO can inhibit the aggregation of TiB2 reinforcements and promote the densification of AgTiB2 composites. As compared to Ag-4wt.%TiB2, the Ag-4wt.%TiB2-0.25wt.%ZnO contact material presents a larger increase on the yield strength and ultimate compressive strength, which is increased by 247.93% and 111.58%, respectively. It suggests that an appropriate ZnO content is more beneficial for the improvement on the mechanical properties of AgTiB2 contact materials.

Automated summary

Incorporating nano-sized ZnO rods onto TiB2 particles can enhance the mechanical properties of AgTiB2 composites, particularly showing significant improvements in yield strength and ultimate compressive strength. An appropriate amount of ZnO content is beneficial for the densification and performance of contact materials.