CuZr Shape Memory Alloy Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

A sintered compact of a near equi-atomic Zr-Cu alloy was fabricated by gas atomization and spark plasma sintering. The properties of the powder were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, a laser diffraction technique and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, density and microstructure of the sintered compact were investigated by Archimedes’ method and XRD. As the result, it was found that the fabricated powder particles possess a spherical shape. The average values of the particle diameter and standard deviation are about 51.3 μm and 26.4, respectively. In addition, the powder consists of both parent phase and martensitic phase of the intermetallic compound CuZr. Furthermore, it was found that the density and microstructure of the sintered compacts vary with sintering temperature.