Processing of Porous NiTi Preforms for NiTi/Mg Composites

NiTi alloys are successfully used in engineering and medical applications because of their properties, such as shape memory effect, superelasticity or mechanical strength. A composite with Mg matrix, due to its vibration damping properties, can be characterized by low weight and good vibration damping properties. In this study, a combination of two techniques was used for successful fabrication of Mg composite reinforced by NiTi alloy preform. The porous preforms synthesized by Self-propagating Hightemperature Synthesis (SHS) from elemental powders were subsequently infiltrated with Mg by squeeze casting. The effects were examined with scanning electron microscope with EDS detector, X-ray diffraction and microindentation. The inspection has shown well-connected matrix and reinforcement; no reaction at the interface and open porosities fully infiltrated by liquid Mg. Moreover, analysis of samples’ fracture has exhibited that crack propagates inside the Mg matrix and there is no detachment of reinforcement.