Abstract:Porous FeAl-based intermetallics were fabricated by thermal explosion (TE) from Fe and Al powders. The effects of sintering temperature on phase constitution, pore structure and oxidation resistance of porous Fe-Al intermetallics were systematically investigated. Porous Fe-Al materials with high open porosity (65%) are synthesized via a low-energy consumption method of TE at a temperature of 636 °C and FeAl intermetallic is evolved as dominant phase in sintered materials at 1000 °C. The porous materials are composed of interconnected skeleton, large pores among skeleton and small pores in the interior of skeleton. The interstitial pores in green powder compacts are the important source of large pores of porous Fe-Al intermetallics, and the in-situ pores from the melting and flowing of aluminum powders are also significant to the formation of large pores. Small pores are from the precipitation of Fe-Al intermetallics particles. In addition, the porous specimens exhibit high resistance to oxidation at 650 °C in air.

Key words: Fe-Al intermetallics; porous material; thermal explosion; phase transition