Particle-level modeling of dynamic consolidation of Ti-SiC powders

Shock wave processing of Ti-SiC powders has been numerically analyzed at the particle level using an Eulerian finite-element methodology. The analysis reveals that the shock consolidation is dominated by the viscoplastic deformation of Ti particles and that inertia plays a significant role in setting the magnitude of the shock rise time (i.e. the consolidation time). The addition of SiC particles is found to reduce slightly the degree of the localized deformation and the temperature rise around the Ti particle surfaces (the hot spots). The local temperature distribution and the thermal history of the hot spots from the simulation are found to be useful in estimating the initiation and growth of the interfacial reaction layer between Ti and SiC. The final particle packing configuration of Ti/SiC powder mixtures and the Ti-SiC reaction layer thickness predicted by the simulations are found to be consistent with experimental observations. Our study indicates that a combination of shock wave processing of powders by plate impact experiments with soft recovery capabilities and the accompanying numerical simulation of these experiments at the particle level holds promise for understanding thermal-mechanical mechanisms during shock consolidation of reactive powders.