Effects of vacuum sintering temperature on mechanical properties and electric resistance for Cr50–Si50 optical target

Abstract

In this study, two kinds of Cr and Si powders were mixed ingredients in set proportions (Cr/Si = 50∶50 in weight percentage), and different vacuum sintering temperatures were used to achieve the optimal densification process. The specimens used in this investigation have common microstructures of hardness, XRD, transverse rupture strength and resistivity of the Cr50–Si50 targets. The microstructure shows that the porosity tends to decrease as sintering temperature increases. Conversely, hardness and transverse rupture strength increase as sintering temperature increases. These results agree with the variation in porosity. Additionally, the resistivity tends to decrease with increasing sintering temperature. It should be correlated with the microstructure of Cr50–Si50 targets, increasing the density of CrSi₂ could significantly decrease the resistance. Meanwhile, the resistivity decreases and conductivity increases as the neighbours are closer together, which also results from the decreasing porosity.