Numerical Simulation Of Spark Plasma Sintering Synthesis Process Of TiC Composites

Spark plasma sintering technology which has the plasma activated sintering andjoule heating and hot pressing heating, was widely applied in the metal ceramiccomposite material preparation with the speed of temperature rise quickly get thematerial properties of grain even the advantages. The temperature of the SPS process isdifficult to accurately determine, therefore numerical simulation of spark plasmasintering synthesis process of composites, is an important to understand the effect ofspark plasma sintering parameters on the distribution, electric field and currentconversion, and is helpful to the optimization of spark plasma sintering synthesistechnology.In this paper, the spark plasma sintering synthesis of TiC composite was chosen asresearch object. A mathematical model of spark plasma sintering synthesis process waspresented based on Fourier thermal conductive law and the law of conservation ofenergy. The Joule hot, chemical reaction heat and the heat transfer process wereconsidered in the model. In addition, the calculating methods of the coupling items inthe model and the boundary condition for the model solution were also given.The heatconduction differential equation was discreted by the finite difference method, and thec++language was made use of to calculate. The temperature field, electric field andconversion were simulated in the spark plasma sintering synthesis process of TiCcomposite.The results show that, when the voltage is too low, the sample reaction can’t beignited. When the voltage is high, the model becomes unstable. TiC composite materialscan be synthetized among the critical voltage which exist a range from12.5V to16V.There are short chemical reaction time and fast conversion rate with the increasing ofvoltage. The temperature in the SPS process and the current distribution in the sampleare affected by the die conductivity. With the increase of the die conductivity, thetemperature increases and the reaction time decreases. With the increase of sampleradius, the current which through the sample and the die decreases, and the temperaturegradient increases. TiC forms faster at the center of the sample and more slowly at theoutside in the larger sample. The composition of sample has an obviously effect on the SPS technology. The preheating time and reaction time is longer in a more Ti contents,which has higher temperature and slower conversion of TiC.The mathematical model and the the computer language C++prepare calculationprogram employed by this thesis, which has some of the universal applicability, is alsotrue of other binary synthesis reactions.