Densification behavior of Mo nanopowders prepared by mechanochemical processing

The sintering behavior of molybdenum (Mo) nanopowder was investigated in comparison to that of commercial Mo powder. At a sintering temperature of 1400 °C, the relative density of Mo nanopowder (94%) was found to be higher than that of commercial powder (74%). In samples of the same relative density, the measured hardness values were 2.34 GPa for nanopowder and 1.87 GPa for commercial powder. The sintered Mo nanopowder exhibited greater hardness compared with the commercial powders. The sintering mechanism and hardness are discussed based on the linear shrinkage behavior and observed microstructural characteristics.