Microstructures and properties of porous TiAl-based intermetallics prepared by freeze-casting

Preparation of porous TiAl-based intermetallics with aligned and elongated pores by freeze-casting was investigated. Engineering Ti−43Al−9V−1Y powder (D₅₀=50 μm), carboxymethyl cellulose, and guar gum were used to prepare the aqueous-based slurries for freeze-casting. Results showed that the porous TiAl was obtained by using a freezing temperature of −5 °C and the pore structure was tailored by varying the particle content of slurry. The total porosity reduced from 81% to 62% and the aligned pore width dropped from approximately 500 to around 270 μm, with increasing the particle content from 10 to 30 vol.%. Furthermore, the compressive strength along the aligned pores increased from 16 to 120 MPa with the reduction of porosity. The effective thermal conductivities of porous TiAl were lower than 1.81 W/(m·K) and showed anisotropic property with respect to the pore orientation.