Effect of Y2O3 addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered AlMgB14 and AlMgB14-TiB2

Owing to great hardness and low friction coefficients on steel, AlMgB 14 has several potential applications in the fields of cutting tools and wear-resistant materials. In the current work, the effect of Y 2 O 3 addition on the mechanical properties and microstructure of spark plasma sintered AlMgB 14 and AlMgB 14 -TiB 2 has been investigated. An increase in the amount of Y 2 O 3 led to an increase in the number of secondary phases including MgAl 2 O 4 and Y 2 O 3 in AlMgB 14 matrix. The addition of Y 2 O 3 led to a refinement in the grain size of AlMgB 14 and AlMgB 14 -TiB 2 ; however, simultaneously increased the porosity. With the addition of 3 wt% Y 2 O 3 , both AlMgB 14 and AlMgB 14 -TiB 2 reached the finest grain size and the highest hardness while maintaining a low porosity.