EFFECT OF ADDED Si ON DENSIFICATION OF Ni-AI INTERMETALLIC COATING ON SPHEROIDAL GRAPHITE CAST IRON SUBSTRATES

Reaction synthesis is a process to form ceramics, intermetallics and their composites from elemental powder mixture. Application of this process to a surface modification techniques has a possibilities to enable the process at a lower temperature or for a shorter time, although synthesized materials are likely to include voids and unreacted elements. This paper intend to examine the effect of Si addition to the mixture of Al and Ni on the densification of synthesized Ni-Al intermetallic compounds and to evaluate the surface properties of obtained coatings. By the Si addition, exothermic reaction temperature to form Ni-Al intermetallic was lowered to be below the melting point of Al. Si soluted $Al_3$Ni$_2$, $Al_3$Ni and $Al_{6}$Ni$_3$Si were mainly formed in the coating layer when powder mixture was heated to 973K for 300s. Besides, densification was enhanced by increasing hot press pressure, Si additions and heating rate. When the composition of eutectic Al-Si reaches 78%, void ratio of sintered compact reduced to 0.4%. It is caused by higher flowability of Al-Si liquid phase generated and its infiltration into the void. Since the hardness of NiAl(Si) compound (about 600HV) formed in the coating layer is higher than that of Ni-Al compound (about 400HV), coating layer with high density and superior wear property is obtained by hot press using reaction synthesis from Al-Ni-Si powder mixture.