Electrolytic Boronzing on TiAl-based Intermetallic Compounds in Fused Salt of Borax, Potassium Chloride and Lithium Chloride Mixture

Na$_2$B$_4$O$_7$-KCl-LiCl 혼합용융욕에서 TiAl계 금속간 화합물의 전해붕화처리

TiAl-based intermetallic compounds were electro-bornizel in the mixture of $Na_2B_4O_7$, KCL and LiCl in the termetature rage between 850 and $1000^{\circ}C$for various times (1-5 hours)under the fixed current density of 0.5 A/$cm^2$. The optimized composition of electrolyte in this work was decided to be 76.9 wt% $Na_2B_4O_7$-19.2 wt.%(0.7KCl-0.3LiCl) -3.9 wt.% al. The samples with boronized layer were investigated by SEM, XRD and EDS. The surface micro-hardness of boronized TiAl was also evaluated using Micro Vickers Hardness Tester. The sample, boronized at $900^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours in the above composition of electrolyte under the current density of 0.5 A/$\textrm{cm}^2$, has about 36$\mu\textrm{m}$ think layer on the surface, and its surface micro-hardness was measured to be 1263 Hv. From the results of SEM, XRD and EDS, the layer consisted of $TiB_2$ sublayer and Al-oxide sub layer. Al-depleted layer below the Al-oxide sudlayer was also detected. The activation energy for formation of boronized layer in this study was calculated as 178 Kcal/moleK.