THE EFFECT OF COPPER MICROPOWDER COMPOSITION (10, 15, AND 20 wt% Cu) AND SINTERING TIME (2, 4, AND 8 HOURS) TOWARD HARDNESS, COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF Ti-Cu SINTERED ALLOY

• Main Author: IQBAL HILMI - Nim: 12514021 , MUHAMMAD
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/29256
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify">Titanium alloy has been developed and used as implant material due to its superior properties, such as high biocompatibility, inertness towards bodily fluids, and high corrosion resistence. Ti-Cu alloy as one of the types of titanium alloy has answered the problems occured in conventional titanium alloys such as toxic metal ion release and severe infections due to low antimicrobes property in conventional alloy. Researches show that the addition of Cu to titanium alloy not only increases its antimicrobes property, but also its strength and hardness compared to crude pure titanium. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of 10, 15, 20 wt% Cu hypereutectoid composition and 2, 4, 8 hours sintering time with 60kN compaction pressure toward compressive strength, hardness, and microstructure of Ti-Cu which hasn‘t investigated in previous researches. <br /> <br /> <br /> Experiments had been done to investigate the effect of 10, 15, and 20 wt% Cu composition and 2, 4, and 8 hours of sintering time with 60kN compaction pressure and sintering temperature at 950°C toward hardness, compressive strength, and microstructure of Ti-Cu sintered alloy. First, the experiments begin with synthesizing Ti-Cu alloy samples by powder weighing followed by mixing and mechanical alloying for 1 hour using planetary ball mill (small samples : 1 cm in diameter and 0,2 cm in height, large sample : 1 cm in diameter and 1,5 cm in height). Blended powder samples were compacted using uniaxial pressure for 30s followed by sintering in tube furnace with argon atmosphere. Small samples were prepared by mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching before microstructure observation using optical microscope, SEM-EDS, and hardness test being conducted. Large samples were tested for determining compressive strength. <br /> <br /> <br /> Microstructure observations show that Ti-10Cu and Ti-15Cu have &#945;-Ti + Ti2Cu lamellar structures and Ti2Cu pro-eutectoid grains precipitated at &#945;-Ti matrix grain boundaries forming chain patterns among lamellar structures. Ti-20Cu alloy has structure with &#945;-Ti and Ti2Cu grains forming block patterns. Average grain size and %pores area in 2, 4, 8 hours of sintering time variations respectively are 20,72&#956;m, 21,38&#956;m, and 21,94&#956;m ; 10,22%, 9,69%, and 9,05%. Highest hardness is shown by Ti-10Cu sample under 8 hours of sintering with hardness value at 518,1 HV. Highest compressive strength is shown by Ti-10Cu sample under 4 hours of sintering with value at 1.618,4 MPa. Fractography shows that mainly transgranular fractures are formed along areas rich with brittle Ti2Cu grains.<p align="justify">