Elevated temperature mechanical behavior of CoSi and particulate reinforced CoSi produced by spray atomization and co-deposition

Monolithic CoSi and TiB₂reinforced CoSi materials were produced by spray atomization and co-deposition. The creep behavior of both materials at elevated temperature was investigated. The unreinforced material of grain size ≍25 μm exhibited a stress exponent of three, activation energy for creep of 320 kJ/mole, dislocation substructure of homogeneously distributed dislocations, and inverse creep transients upon stress increases. These results suggest that the creep behavior of CoSi is controlled by a dislocation glide mechanism. In contrast, the reinforced material of a finer grain size (≍10 μm) exhibited a stress exponent of unity, activation energy for creep of 240 kJ/mole, and negligible creep transients upon stress increases, suggesting that the creep behavior of the reinforced material is controlled by a diffusional creep mechanism. The creep resistance of the reinforced material was lower than that for the unreinforced material. This is a result of the finer grain size and higher porosity in the reinforced material.