In this work, intermetallic materials based on γ-TiAl in situ strengthened with the Ti₃Al phase have been obtained from the initial components of titanium and aluminum under the conditions of free SHS-compression in one technological step and in ten seconds. This method combines the process of the combustion of initial components in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) with high-temperature shear deformation of the synthesized materials. The following initial compositions have been studied (mol): Ti–Al, 1.5 Ti–Al, and 3 Ti–Al. Thermodynamic calculations have been carried out and the actual combustion temperature of the compositions under study has been measured. To increase the exothermicity of the studied compositions, a “chemical furnace” based on a mixture of Ti–C powders has been used, which allows us to increase the combustion temperature and stabilize the combustion front. It has been found that the actual combustion temperature of the selected compositions increased from 890–1120 to 1000–1350 °C. The results of X-ray powder diffraction and SEM are presented, mechanical and tribological characteristics of the obtained materials are measured, and 3D images of wear grooves are given. It has been found that a decrease in Ti molar fraction and an increase in Al molar fraction in the initial mixture lead to an increase in the mechanical (hardness up to 10.2 GPa, modulus of elasticity up to 215 GPa) and tribological characteristics (wear up to 4.5 times, coefficient of friction up to 2.4 times) of intermetallic materials.

A mathematical model was developed to determine the order of failure of layers in a two-layer ceramics composite and to determine the conditions for achieving the maximum limit load under three-point loading. The model was set in the space of three “bilayer parameters”: the ratio of the thickness of the lower layer to the whole thickness of the beam, the ratio of Young’s moduli of the lower layer to the upper layer, and the ratio of flexural strengths of the materials of the lower layer to the upper layer. The adequacy of the model obtained was confirmed by experimental results on the three-point bending of the experimental specimens. The experimental samples were two-layer composites consisting of a cermet layer TiB/Ti and a layer of α-Ti. The samples were obtained by free self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) compression and with varying their thickness. The results obtained make it possible to predict in advance which layer, based on the specific bilayer parameters, will trigger the brittle fracture mechanism as well as to set the maximum destructive load of bilayer composites.

This study investigates TNM-type titanium aluminide alloys, representing the third generation of β-stabilized γ-TiAl heat-resistant materials. The aim of this work is to study the combustion characteristics and to produce compact materials via the free SHS compaction method from initial powder reagents taken in the following ratio (wt%): 51.85Ti–43Al–4Nb–1Mo–0.15B, as well as to determine the effect of high-temperature isothermal annealing at 1000 °C on the structure and properties of the obtained materials. Using free SHS compression (self-propagating high-temperature synthesis), we synthesized compact materials from a 51.85Ti–43Al–4Nb–1Mo–0.15B (wt%) powder blend. Key combustion parameters were optimized to maximize the synthesis temperature, employing a chemical ignition system. The as-fabricated materials exhibit a layered macrostructure with wavy interfaces, aligned parallel to material flow during compression. Post-synthesis isothermal annealing at 1000 °C for 3 h promoted further phase transformations, enhancing mechanical properties including microhardness (up to 7.4 GPa), Young’s modulus (up to 200 GPa) and elastic recovery (up to 31.8%). X-ray powder diffraction, SEM, and EDS analyses confirmed solid-state diffusion as the primary mechanism for element interaction during synthesis and annealing. The developed materials show promise as PVD targets for depositing heat-resistant coatings.

This work systematically examines the effect of zirconium additions on the phase transition behavior and microstructural evolution of TiAl(Nb,Mo)B systems subjected to shear deformation under unconstrained self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). The study further evaluates the direct correlation between Zr doping levels, microstructural arrangements, and the resulting mechanical behavior of the densified compacts. The experiments focused on a precursor powder blend with the nominal composition of 51.85Ti–43Al–4Nb–1Mo–0.15B (at %) supplemented with 1–3 at % of zirconium. The results demonstrate that introducing Zr during SHS processing promotes the precipitation of a secondary Al₂Zr intermetallic compound, which selectively segregates at the boundaries of the lamellar γ and α₂ colonies. This alloying strategy yields a pronounced enhancement in room-temperature improved crack resistance under contact/indentation conditions and structural damage tolerance. These mechanical enhancements are associated with a synergistic effect, phase transformations, and the precipitation of an Al₂Zr phase, whose volume fraction is governed by the initial Zr concentration. We assumed that the resulting microstructure effectively impedes macrocrack advancement through multi-directional branching and interfacial energy dissipation, thereby effectively preventing brittle failure under indentation loads up to 100 N at room temperature.

In this work, a layered composite material was obtained by the method of free SHS compression, which combines the processes of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and high-temperature shear deformation, using initial powder components of titanium, boron, and aluminum, as well as a VT1-0 titanium substrate. It is shown that the resulting composite consists of a TiB-based ceramic layer, a Ti-Al-based intermetallic layer, and an α-Ti titanium layer, with the interfaces between them having a wavy and diffuse character. The influence of high-temperature annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 1000°C for 1 h on the structure, phase composition, and mechanical properties of each layer in the obtained composite was determined. The results of SEM, powder X-ray diffraction, and EDS analysis of the studied layered composite materials before and after annealing are presented. It was found that during annealing, the intermetallic layer, which initially consists primarily of the TiAl₃ phase, undergoes transformation into the main phases TiAl and Ti₃Al due to diffusion processes, while free titanium reacts with nitrogen to form up to 10 wt. % of the TiN nitride phase. It is shown that high-temperature annealing leads to structural and phase transformations in the studied layers, which result in improved mechanical properties: hardness increases up to 2.1 times, and the elastic modulus increases up to 1.7 times.