Sintering kinetics, defect chemistry and room-temperature mechanical properties of titanium nitride prepared by spark plasma sintering

Fully dense titanium nitride polycrystals have been prepared by spark plasma sintering. The kinetics of the sintering process and the optimized conditions for SPS processing have been put forward. Microstructural analyses of the resulting samples have unambiguously shown the coexistence of titanium as Ti, Ti and Ti, thus driving the presence of cation vacancies. This fact is a new ingredient which is shown to influence the mechanical properties of this strategic ceramic.The authors want to acknowledge the financial support provided by the research project MAT2015-71411-R awarded by the Spanish authorities. JMM wants to acknowledge the support provided by the Regional Government ‘Junta de Andalucía' through his contract in frame of the ‘Plan de Empleo Joven’ program. BMM expresses her recognition to the Spanish Ministry of Science for her postdoctoral contract through the ‘Juan de la Cierva-incorporación' program at the University of Zaragoza, Spain