Grain Size Reduction in a TiC–Co Material during SHS Extrusion

The variation in the grain size of a titanium carbide-based material with a cobalt binder is studied theoretically and experimentally in relation to its location in the chamber of a die, matrix, and along the length of the sample after SHS extrusion. Our experimental results show that the average grain size in a material synthesized without any external load is 4.9 μm. Densification in a die reduces it to 3.8 μm, and extrusion of the material considerably reduces the average grain size, down to 2 μm, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. In most of the extruded rod, the grain size distributions along and across the rod are uniform.