Novel fabrication of titanium by pure microwave radiation of titanium hydride powder.

We report that pure microwave (MW) radiation, without the assistance of MW susceptors, can rapidly heat titanium hydride (TiH2) powder to 1300°C for isothermal sintering. The release of hydrogen, however, induces low-temperature plasmas which reflect incident MWs, leading to cyclic temperature fluctuations. Commercially pure titanium fabricated by MW radiation of TiH2 powder exhibits much higher sintered densities, tensile strength and ductility together with finer residual pores, compared to that sintered from hydride–dehydride titanium powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]