Evaluation of the intermetallic compound Al2Ti for elevated-temperature applications

Al2Ti is a stable intermetallic phase being investigated for elevated-temperature applications. The density of Al2Ti measured by helium pycnometry is 3.53–3.54 g cm−3, in excellent agreement with the density of 3.530 g cm−3 calculated from X-ray diffraction data. Compression testing was performed on samples of as-cast, cast and hot isostatically pressed (cast and HIPed), and powder-processed materials in argon between 25 and 1000 °C. The yield strength of powder-processed Al2Ti at 400 °C is approximately 1000 MPa, decreasing to about 500 MPa at 800 °C, over six times greater than the yield strength of cast Al3Ti over this same temperature range. Oxidation testing was performed on samples of Al2Ti in the same three material conditions at 815 °C (1500 °F) and 982 °C (1800 °F) using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The weight gain after 100 h at 815 °C was about 1.0 mg cm−2 for the cast and cast and HIPed material conditions, comparable to those reported for TiAl and Al3Ti at this temperature. The weight gain for powder-processed Al2Ti was only 0.15 mg cm−2 after 100 h at 815 °C. The thermal expansion of Al2Ti was measured by thermomechanical analysis. The coefficient of thermal expansion varied from approximately 12 × 10−6 °C−1 at 200 °C to 16 × 10−6 °C−1 at 900 °C.