Spark plasma sintering of TiC–ZrC composites

TiC–ZrC composites were consolidated from TiC and ZrC powders by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1500–2200 °C. For sintering temperatures above 1800 °C, the sintered bodies with TiC compositions of 60–90 mol% were densified to relative densities above 95%. For sintering temperatures below 1900 °C, the sintered bodies were composed of Ti- and Zr-rich solid solutions, (Ti, Zr)C; at high temperatures above 2000 °C, they formed a single-phase (Ti, Zr)C. Above 2000 °C, the single-phase (Ti, Zr)C had a uniform morphology. The single-phase (Ti, Zr)C and the composites of Ti- and Zr-rich (Ti, Zr)C for TiC compositions greater than 80 mol% exhibited values of Vickers hardness above 26 GPa.