The synthesis of NiTi alloy powders by hydrogen reduction and dehydrogenation process of NiO and TiH2 powder mixtures is investigated. Mixtures of NiO and TiH2 powders are prepared by simple mixing for 1 h or ball milling for 24 h. Simple-mixed mixture shows that fine NiO particles are homogeneously coated on the surface of TiH2 powders, whereas ball milled one exhibits the morphology with mixing of fine NiO and TiH2 particles. Thermogravimetric analysis in hydrogen atmosphere reveals that the NiO and TiH2 phase are changed to metallic Ni and Ti in the temperature range of 260 to 290oC and 553 to 639oC, respectively. In the simple-mixed powders by heat-up to 700oC, agglomerates with solid particles and solidified liquid phase are observed, and the size of agglomerates is increased at 1000oC. From the XRD analysis, the presence of liquid phase is explained by the formation and melting of NiTi2 intermetallic compound due to an exothermic reaction between Ni and Ti. The simple-mixed powders, heated to 1000oC, lead to the formation of NiTi phase but additional Ni-, Ti-rich and Ti-oxide phases. In contrast, the microstructure of ball-milled powders is characterized by the neck-grown particles, forming Ni3Ti, Ti-oxide and unreacted Ni phase.

The composite used in this paper was prepared by hot-pressing ball-milled Mg alloy powders, in which NiTi shape memory alloy fibers in a row were sandwiched. The microstructure and property were examined. It is shown that the composite consisted of a homogenous matrix with uniformly distributed NiTi shape memory alloy fibers, recrystallization took place in the Mg alloy matrix which was subjected to plastic deformation an adequate bonding formed between the matrix and fibers; the density and tensile strength of the composite increased after the hot-forging; the hot-forging process is capable of improving properties of the composite.

Synthesis of the NiTi shape memory alloy using the thermal explosion mode of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis has been investigated. The significant fractions of intermetallics phases were found to form at the Ti/Ni powder interface during the heating to the ignition temperature and seemed to influence the relative fraction of phases in the final products. As the heating rate to the ignition temperature was increased, the combustion temperature and the fraction of NiTi in the final reaction products were increased. The synthesis reaction under 70 MPa compressive pressure yielded a reaction product with 98% theoretical density.