Nanopowders of W, Nb, and Si were fabricated by high-energy ball milling. A dense nanostructured WSi2-NbSi2 composite was simultaneously synthesized and sintered by the pulsed current activated heating method within four minutes using mechanically activated powders of W, Nb, and Si. A high-density WSi2-NbSi2 composite was produced under simultaneous application of an 80-MPa pressure and a pulsed current. The sintering behavior, mechanical properties, and microstructure of the composite were investigated.
Keywords: Composite; Mechanical properties; Sintering; Nanostructured materials