In the case of metal carbonnitride, Ni or Co is added as a binder for the formation of composite structures. However, the high cost of Ni or Co and the low corrosion resistance of the metal carbonnitride cermets have generated interest in recent years for alternative binder phases. In this study, TiAl3 was used as a novel binder and consolidated by the high frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) method. Highly dense (W, Ti)CN-TiAl3 with a relative density of up to 98% was obtained within 2 min by HFIHS under a pressure of 80MPa. The method was found to enable not only the rapid densification but also the inhibition of grain growth preserving the nano-scale microstructure. The addition of TiAl3 to (W, Ti)CN simultaneously improved the fracture toughness and hardness of (W, Ti)CN-TiAl3 composite.

Keywords: Nanomaterials, Sintering, Hardness, Fracture Toughness, Composite.