Recently, a glovebox with integrated hydraulic hand press (up to 500 kN) and a sintering tube furnace flanged to the glovebox (up to 1,600 °C) was put into operation at IFUM.
In the conventional powder metallurgical (PM) process chain, consisting of die pressing followed by sintering, the inclusion of impurities such as oxygen is unavoidable under normal atmospheres. Oxygen can negatively influence the properties of materials, especially those with an affinity for oxygen, leading to inadequate results in terms of relative density and technological and physical properties. The subproject A03 of the SFB1368 therefore intends to investigate the effects of oxygen retention and extraction within the PM and forming process route, using the example of γ-based titanium aluminides. For this purpose, a process route is being set up, with which it is possible to process powder under extremely high vacuum (XHV) adequate conditions.
