| Ultrafine-grained, nanophase samples of TiO2 (rutile) were synthesized by the gas-condensation method and subsequent in-situ compaction, and then studied by transmission electron microscopy, Vickers hardness measurements, and positron annihilation spectroscopy as a function of sintering temperature. The nanophase compacts densified rapidly above 500°C, with only a small increase in grain size. The hardness values obtained by this method are comparable to or greater than coarser-grained compacts, but at temperatures 400 to 600°C lower than conventional sintering temperatures and without the need for sintering aids. |
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