Fabrication of dense thin sheets of γ-TiAl by hot isostatic pressing of tape-cast monotapes

A method is described for the fabrication of dense thin sheets of γ titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl) by a powder metallurgy route involving hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of tape-cast monotapes. Gamma-TiAl powder (particle size <90 μm) was incorporated into a concentrated slurry by mixing with an organic binder in a solvent and the system was tape-cast to form sheets with a thickness of 400–600 μm. After insertion of the tape-cast sheet into a HIP can and binder removal in situ by thermal decomposition, HIP at 1100 °C under a pressure of 130 MPa produced dense sheets with a thickness of 250–400 μm. The free, dense sheets with a fine-grain microstructure were obtained by dissolution and oxidation of the HIP can. The carbon content of the fabricated sheets was 0.035 wt.%. Facile adaptation of the process to the production of γ-TiAl thin sheets with complex shapes is expected.