Synthesis of a Composite Material via Combustion of Titanium and Boron Powders and a Mechanically Activated Aluminum + Nickel Mixture

— Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis has been performed in a heterogeneous Ni–Al–Ti–B model system consisting of Al + Ni composite particles in the form of granules produced by mechanical activation and a Ti + 2B mixture of titanium and boron powders. Two main chemical reactions occurred in the combustion wave front: between aluminum and nickel in the composite particles and between titanium and boron in the mixture around the composite particles. The combustion process resulted in the formation of a titanium diboride matrix in which small pores were filled with molten nickel aluminides, and the composite particles gave way to pores reproducing their shape. The porous metal–ceramic synthesis product had a structure of composite material, with interpenetrating diboride and intermetallic skeletons.