Thermal analysis of self-propagating high-temperature reactions in titanium, boron, and aluminum powder compacts

This article focuses on the characterization of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reactions that occur in powder compacts containing titanium, boron, and aluminum. Interest in this powder system is based on the critical need to develop new joining techniques for bonding ceramics to metals. The exothermic reactions of particular interest in this study include those that generate TiB sub 2 , TiB, Ti sub 3 Al, and TiAl from their elemental powders. Data from differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and x-ray diffractometry are presented. These results demonstrate that the gas phase surrounding the SHS powders plays an important role in initiating the SHS reaction and in determining which reaction products will form in the final bond.