The effect of shear strains on grain size in the Ni3Al intermetallic compound synthesized under pressure

Using a numerical simulation we investigated the distribution of the shear strains appeared in the Ni3Al intermetallic compound billet during its crystallization under high temperature synthesis from a powder mixture under uniaxial compression. The pressure varied from 326 to 434 MPa. The grain size distribution in the produced billet was measured experimentally. It was found that both maximal values of the shear strains and minimum grain size occur at the edges of the billet. The agreement between the distributions of the simulated shear strains and experimentally obtained grain size suggests correctness of the model used. •Compression of the billet during synthesis initiates the formation of shear strains.•Shear strains result in the grain size decrease.•The maximum shear strain and the minimum grain size are at the edge of the billet.