Decomposition of icosahedral phase in Ti52Zr28Ni20 powder during electro-discharge sintering

A single pulse of 0.57-1.1 kJ/0.45 g-atomized spherical Ti52Zr28Ni20 powders in size range of 10-30 and 30-50 μm consisting of a mixture of β-(Ti, Zr) and icosahedral phases was applied to understand the structural evolution of icosahedral phase during electro-discharge sintering (EDS). The structural analysis revealed that high electrical input energies leaded to complete decomposition of icosahedral phase into C14 Laves and β-(Ti, Zr) phases. Furthermore, the critical input energy inducing decomposition of icosahedral phase during EDS is dependent on the size of the powder.