Fabrication and mechanical properties of Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composites with co-continuous network structure

Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composites with different volume fractions were prepared by hot pressing technology,and their reinforced structural characteristics and mechanical properties were evaluated.The results showed that when the reinforced phase volume fraction of Ti_(2)AlC was 20%,three-dimensional interpenetrating network structures were formed in the composites.Above 20%,Ti_(2)AlC phase in the composites accumulated and grew to form thick skeletal networks.The microplastic deformation behavior of Ti_(2)AlC phase,such as kink band and delamination,improved the fracture toughness of the composites.Comparative analysis indicated that the uniform and small interconnecting network structures could further reinforce the composites.The bending strengths of composites prepared with 20 vol.%Ti_(2)AlC reached(900.9±45.0)MPa,which was 25.5% higher than that of TiAl matrix.In general,the co-continuous Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composite with excellent mechanical properties can be prepared by powder metallurgy method.

Preparation of TiAl/Ti_2AlC Composites with Ti/Al/C Powders by In-situ Hot Pressing

TiAl/Ti2AlC composites were prepared by in-situ hot pressing of TilAl/C powders mixtures and sintered at different temperatures were investigated by X- ray diffraction （ XRD ） of samples. The reaction procedure of Ti-Al-C system could be divided into three stnges. Below 900℃ , Ti reacts with Al to form TiAl intermetallics ; above 900 ℃ , C reacts with remain Ti to form TiC triggered by the exothermal reaction of Ti and Al ; TiAl reacts with TiC to produce dense TiAl/Ti2AlC compasites.In the holding stage, ternary Ti2AlC develops to layered polycrystal and composites pyknosis in the meanwhile. The mechanism of synthesis and microstructure was especially discussed.

Preparation and Microstructural Analysis of Ti_2AlC/TiAl(Nb) Composite

By using the spark plasma sintering process, Ti2AlC/TiAlcomposite with the addition of Niobium （Nb） was prepared in-situ and the microstructure of Ti2AlC/TiAl （Nb） composite was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and high-resolution electron microscopy （HREM）. The results indicate that new-formed Ti2AIC particles disperse with a high degree of uniformity and well combine with the matrix. In the area of phase interface the d-spaces of Ti2AlC （100） and TiAI （110） were measured as 0.2648 nm and 0.2991 nm,respectively. The atom arrangement beside the interface was only partly corresponding, existing in semicoherent state. On the contrary, in the area of grain interface the d-spaces of TiAl （100） and TiAl （110） were measured as 0.2462 nm and 0.2631 nm,respectively and the atom arrangement beside the interface was almost corresponding, existing in coherent state.

Superior strength-plasticity synergy in a heterogeneous lamellar Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composite with unique interfacial microstructure

Improving the plasticity of TiAl alloys at room temperature has been a longstanding challenge for the de-velopment of next-generation aerospace engines.By adopting the nacre-like architecture design strategy,we have obtained a novel heterogeneous lamellar Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composite with superior strength-plasticity synergy,i.e.,compressive strength of∼2065 MPa and fracture strain of∼27%.A combination of micropil-lar compression and large-scale atomistic simulation has revealed that the superior strength-plasticity synergy is attributed to the collaboration of Ti_(2)AlC reinforcement,lamellar architecture and heteroge-neous interface.More specifically,multiple deformation modes in Ti_(2)AlC,i.e.,basal-plane dislocations,atomic-scale ripples and kink bands,could be activated during the compression,thus promoting the plas-tic deformation capability of composite.Meanwhile,the lamellar architecture could not only induce sig-nificant stress redistribution and crack deflection between Ti_(2)AlC and TiAl,but also generate high-density SFs and DTs interactions in TiAl,leading to an improved strength and strain hardening ability.In addi-tion,profuse unique Ti_(2)AlC(1¯10¯3)/TiAl(111)interfaces in the composite could dramatically contribute to the strength and plasticity due to the interface-mediated dislocation nucleation and obstruction mecha-nisms.These findings offer a promising paradigm for tailoring microstructure of TiAl matrix composites with extraordinary strength and plasticity at ambient temperature.