Study on preparation and mechanical property of nanocrystalline NiAl intermetallic

• Nanocrystalline NiAl were prepared by mechanical alloying and sintering.
• B2 ordered NiAl powders were synthesized by gradual exothermic reaction mechanism.
• Sintered NiAl was assigned to B2 order NiAl phase with crystallite size about 100 nm.
• Ordered nanocrystalline NiAl exhibited high compression strength and fracture strain.
• Fracture mechanism of NiAl intermetallic was ductile fracture.

Nanocrystalline NiAl materials were fabricated using mechanical alloying and hot-pressing sintering technique. The crystal structural and microstructure of milled powders during mechanical alloying, and the microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk NiAl intermetallic were characterized. The results show that B2 ordered nanocrystalline NiAl powders were successfully synthesized by solid-state diffusion via the gradual exothermic reaction mechanism during mechanical alloying. Scanning electron microscope image confirmed that the powder particles were flat and flake shape in the early stage of milling, but changed to a spherical shape with the crystallite size about 30 nm after the milling. After sintering, the crystal structure of nanocrystalline NiAl intermetallic was assigned to B2 order NiAl phase with the average crystallite size about 100 nm. The nanocrystalline NiAl intermetallic exhibited prominent room temperature compressive properties, such as the true ultimate compressive strength and the fracture strain were 2143 MPa and 32.2%, respectively. The appearances of vein-like patterns on the fracture surface of NiAl intermetallic materials indicated that the fracture mechanism could be characterized as ductile fracture. It can be concluded that higher sintering density and nanocrystalline of NiAl intermetallic were benefited for the improvement of mechanical properties.