Reaction synthesis of shock-compressed Mo-Si powder mixtures

The combination of plastic deformation and intimate-packing obtained during shock-compression of powder mixtures, results in an altered reaction behavior during subsequent combustion synthesis of Mo and Si powder mixtures. The reaction mechanisms are then dominated by solid state diffusion processes. Near-net shaped, dense, and fully reacted compacts, can thus, be obtained by reaction sintering the shocked compacts at temperatures much below the eutectic. Control of porosity and grain size refinement is also possible. In this paper, the authors will report on the reaction behavior of shock-compressed Mo-Si powder mixtures, and the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the MoSi2 compacts, produced by the combined shock-compression and reaction sintering approach