Effect of rare earth La_2O_3 on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC/W composites

In this study, La2O3 was investigated as an additive to TiC/W composites. The composites were prepared by vacuum hot pressing, and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Experimental results show that the grain size of the TiC/W composites is reduced by TiC particles. When 0.5 wt.% La2O3 is added to the composites, the grain size is reduced further. According to TEM analysis, La2O3 can alleviate the aggregation of TiC particles. With La2O3 addition, the relative density of the TiC/W composites can be improved from 95.1% to 96.5%. The hardness and elastic modulus of the TiC/W ＋ 0.5 wt.% La2O3 composite are little improved, but the flexural strength and the fracture toughness increase to 796 MPa and 10.07 MPa·m^1/2 respectively, which are higher than those of the TiC/W composites.

Microstructural characterization,tribological and corrosion behavior of AA7075-TiC composites

Aluminum alloys are the potential materials in the automobile and aerospace sectors due to their lower density,easy forming and excellent corrosion resistance.The demand of high strength-to-weight ratio materials in structural applications needs the engineering industries to seek aluminum alloy with new versions of hard and brittle ceramic particles.The microstructure,hardness,wear and corrosion behaviors of AA7075 composites with 2.5wt.%and 5wt.%TiC particles were studied.Microscopic analysis is evident that the transformation of the strong dendritic morphology to non-dendritic morphology on the incorporation of TiC into AA7075.Furthermore,the precipitation of the second-phase compounds such as Al_(2)CuMg,Al_(2)Cu andFe-rich Al_6(Cu,Fe)/Al_(7)Cu_(2)Fe)is promoted by TiC particles at inter-and intra-dendritic regions.Accordingly,the hardness of composites is improved by grain boundary strengthening and particulate strengthening mechanisms.Both coefficient of friction and wear rate have an inverse relation with TiC concentration.The base alloy without TiC shows adhesive-type wear-induced deformation due to the formation of an oxide film,while composite samples exhibit a mechanically mixed layer and abrasive-type wear behavior.Composite samples shows a higher corrosion rate due to the presence of numerous precipitates which promote pitting corrosion.

Evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties in multi-layer 316L-TiC composite fabricated by selective laser melting additive manufacturing

In this study,the microstructure and mechanical properties of a multi-layered 316L-TiC composite material produced by selective laser melting(SLM)additive manufacturing process are investigated.Three different layers,consisting of 316L stainless steel,316L-5 wt%TiC and 316L-10 wt%TiC,were additively manufactured.The microstructure of these layers was characterized by optical microscopy(OM)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).X-ray diffraction(XRD)was used for phase analysis,and the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and nanoindentation tests.The microstructural observations show epitaxial grain growth within the composite layers,with the elongated grains growing predominantly in the build direction.XRD analysis confirms the successful incorporation of the TiC particles into the 316L matrix,with no unwanted phases present.Nanoindentation results indicate a significant increase in the hardness and modulus of elasticity of the composite layers compared to pure 316L stainless steel,suggesting improved mechanical properties.Tensile tests show remarkable strength values for the 316L-TiC composite samples,which can be attributed to the embedded TiC particles.These results highlight the potential of SLM in the production of multi-layer metal-ceramic composites for applications that require high strength and ductility of metallic components in addition to the exceptional hardness of the ceramic particles.

Tribological properties and wear prediction model of TiC particles reinforced Ni-base alloy composite coatings

TiC particles reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings were prepared on 7005 aluminum alloy by plasma spray. The effects of load, speed and temperature on the tribological behavior and mechanisms of the composite coatings under dry friction were researched. The wear prediction model of the composite coatings was established based on the least square support vector machine (LS-SVM). The results show that the composite coatings exhibit smaller friction coefficients and wear losses than the Ni-based alloy coatings under different friction conditions. The predicting time of the LS-SVM model is only 12.93%of that of the BP-ANN model, and the predicting accuracies on friction coefficients and wear losses of the former are increased by 58.74%and 41.87%compared with the latter. The LS-SVM model can effectively predict the tribological behavior of the TiCP/Ni-base alloy composite coatings under dry friction.

Comparative Assessment on Microstructure and Properties of in-situ TiC+Ti_(5)Si_(3)Reinforced TiAl-Sn-Zr Matrix Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering and Argon Protected Sintering

The effects of SiC particles(SiCp)on high temperature oxidation behavior of titanium matrix composites(TMCs)under different powder metallurgy processes were investigated.In situ Ti C+Ti_(5)Si_(3)reinforced titanium matrix composites were prepared by discharge plasma sintering(SPS)and argon protective sintering(APS).The results show that the two processes have a negligible effect on the composition and hardness of the samples,but the hardness of the two samples is significantly improved by adding SiCp.The apparent porosity of SPS process is obviously smaller than that of APS process,whereas,the apparent porosity increases slightly with the addition of SiCp.The oxide layer thickness and mass gain of the samples obtained by SPS process are smaller than those obtained by APS process.The oxide thickness and mass gain of both processes are further reduced by adding SiCp.The SPS composites showed the best high temperature oxidation resistance.Therefore,TMCs with Si Cp by SPS can effectively improve the high-temperature oxidation behavior of the materials.

Mechanical properties and wear resistance of medium entropy Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10/TiC composites

The Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10/TiC (volume fraction of TiC, 10%) composites were synthesized in combination of ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) in the present work. Mechanical properties and wear resistance of the Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10/TiC composites were individually investigated. It was found that TiC particles homogenously distributed in the Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10/TiC composite after being sintered at 1373 K for 15 min. Meanwhile, grain refinement was observed in the as-sintered composite. Compared with the pure Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10 medium entropy alloy (MEA) matrix grain, addition of 10% TiC particles resulted in an increase in the compressive strength from 1.571 to 2.174 GPa, and the hardness from HV 320 to HV 872. Wear resistance results demonstrated that the friction coefficient, wear depth and width of the composite decreased in comparison with the Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10 MEA matrix. Excellent mechanical properties and wear resistance could offer the Fe40Mn40Cr10Co10/TiC composite a very promising candidate for engineering applications.

Preparation of TiC/Ni_3Al Composites by Upward Melt Infiltration

TiC/Ni_3Al composites have been prepared using upward infiltration method. The densification was performed by both Ni_3Al melt filling and TiC sintering during the infiltration. The dissolution of TiC in liquid Ni_3Al has been evidenced by finding Ni_3(Al,Ti)C after fast cooling in the TiC/Ni_3Al composites. The dissolution may be responsible for the infiltration and sintering. Compared with downward infiltration, the upward infiltration brought about higher strength and fracture toughness and shorter infiltration time. TiC/20 vol. pct Ni_3Al composite processed by upward infiltration had a flexural strength of 1476 MPa with a statistic Weibull modulus of 20.2 and a fracture toughness of 20.4 MPa . Better mechanical properties may be attributed to melt unidirectional movement in upward infiltration.

Effect of Silver Element on Microstructure and Properties of W-30Cu/TiC Composites

W-30 wt%Cu and TiC-50 wt%Ag were successfully synthesized by a novel simplified pretreatment followed by electroless plating. The 0 wt% TiC, 0.5 wt% TiC, and 0.5 wt%TiC-0.5 wt%Ag composite powders were added to W-30 wt%Cu composite powders by blending, and then reduced. The reduced W-30 Cu, W-30 Cu/0.5 TiC, and W-30 Cu-0.5 Ag/0.5 TiC composite powders were then compacted and sintered at 1 300 ℃ in protective hydrogen for 60 min. The phase and morphology of the composite powders and materials were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The relative density, electrical conductivity, and hardness of the sintered samples were examined. Results showed that W-30 Cu and TiC-Ag composite powders with uniform structure were obtained using simplified pretreatment followed by electroless plating. The addition of TiC particles can significantly increase the compressive strength and hardness of the W-30 Cu composite material but decrease the electrical conductivity. Next, 0.5 wt% Ag was added to prepare W-30 Cu-0.5 Ag/TiC composites with excellent electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of these composites(61.2%) is higher than that in the national standard(the imaginary line denotes electrical conductivity of GB IACS 42%) of 45.7%.

Structure and characteristics of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-B_4C-PTFE composite coatings

Hardness, friction and wear characteristics of electrodeposited RE Ni W P B 4C PTFE composite coatings were studied, and the reason for these fine characteristics was explained in respect of structure. The results show that 1) the structure of RE Ni W P B 4C PTFE composite coatings experiences a transformation process from amorphous to mixture then to crystal as the heat treatment temperature rises; 2) incorporating of B 4C greatly increases the hardness of the coating; 3) the wear resistance of the coating is best with heat treatment for 1?h at 300?℃, which is greatly superior to that of the other traditional coatings.

TiC-Maraging stainless steel composite:microstructure, mechanical and wear properties

Particulate TiC reinforced 17-4PH and 465 maraging stainless steel matrix composites were processed by conventional powder metallurgy （P/M）. TiC-maraging stainless steel composites with theoretical density 〉97% were produced using conventional P/M. The microstructure, and mechanical and wear properties of the composites were evaluated. The microstructure of the composites consisted of （core-rim structure） spherical and semi-spherical TiC particles depending on the wettability of the matrix with TiC particles. In TiC-maraging stainless steel composites, 465 stainless steel binder phase showed good wettability with TiC particles. Some microcracks appeared in the composites, indicating the presence of tensile stresses in the composites produced during sintering. The typical properties, hardness, and bend strength were reported for the composites. After heat treatment and aging, an increase in hardness was observed. The increase in hardness was at- tributed to the aging reaction in maraging stainless steel. The specific wear behavior of the composites strongly depends on the content of TiC particles and their interparticle spacing, and on the heat treatment of the maraging stainless steel.

Thermal explosion synthesis of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with TiC-TiB_2 ceramic particulates

In situ TiC-TiB2 diphase ceramic reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites were successfully fabricated via thermal explosion(TE) reaction in the Al-Ti-B4C system. Using DTA and XRD analyses,the combustion reaction characteristic was examined. The results show that Al serves not only as a diluent but also as a reaction participant,affecting the reaction process and its final products. Combining with the DTA and the TE temperature-time curves,the ignition temperature is estimated to be about 970 K. With increasing Al content,the adiabatic combustion temperature is lowered and the sizes of the TiC and TiB2 particulates decrease. When the Al content in the reactants is more than 50%,Al3Ti intermediate phase is detected in the synthesized products. SEM observations reveal that the nearly spherical TiC particles and hexagonal or rectangular TiB2 particles distribute relatively uniformly in the Al matrix.

Characteristics of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-B-B_4C-MoS_2 composite coating

The high temperature oxidation resistance of RE Ni W B B 4C MoS 2 composite coating, the effects of electrodeposition conditions on the morphologies of the coating and the effect of heat treatment temperature on its hardness, abrasion resistance and phase structure were investigated by using scanning electron microscope(SEM), X ray diffractometer, microhardness tester and abrasion machine. The results show that the oxidation degree of RE Ni W B B 4C MoS 2 composite coating is small when the temperature is lower than 700 ℃, but it increases sharply when the temperature is higher than 700 ℃. The hardness of RE Ni W B B 4C MoS 2 composite coating increases with increasing heat treatment temperature, it comes up to the maximum value at 400 ℃,but it decreases gradually if the temperature rises continuously. The most favourable abrasion resistance was attained after RE Ni W B B 4C MoS 2 composite coating being heat treated at 400 ℃. Without heat treating, it is mainly amorphous and partially crystallized, but wholly crystallized after being heat treated at 500 ℃. RE in the composite coating is in the form of CeO 2 and additions of CeO 2 and B 4C can enhance the thermostability of RE Ni W B B 4C MoS 2 composite coating.

Compressive Creep Behavior of TiC/AZ91D Magnesium-matrix Composites with Interpenetrating Networks

The 42.1 vol. pct TiC/AZ91D magnesium-matrix composites with interpenetrating networks were fabricated by in-situ reactive infiltration process. The compressive creep behavior of as-synthesized composites was investigated at temperature ranging from 673 to 723 K under loads of 95-108 MPa. For a comparative purpose,the creep behavior of the monolithic matrix alloy AZ91D was also conducted under loads of 15-55 MPa at 548-598 K. The creep mechanisms were theoretically analyzed based on the power-law relation. The results showed that the creep rates of both TiC/AZ91D composites and AZ91D alloy increase with increasing the temperature and load. The TiC/AZ91D composites possess superior creep resistance as compared with the AZ91D alloy. At deformation temperature below 573 K, the stress exponent n of AZ91D alloy approaches theoretical value of 5, which suggests that the creep process is controlled by dislocation climb. At 598 K, the stress exponentof AZ91D is close to 3, in which viscous non-basal slip deformation plays a key role in the process of creep deformation. However, the case differs from that of AZ91D alloy when the stress exponent n of TiC/AZ91D composites exceeds 9, which shows that there exists threshold stress in the creep process of the composites, similar to other types of composites. The average activation energies for the creep of the AZ91D alloy and TiC/AZ91D composites were calculated to be 144 and 152 k J/mol, respectively. The existence of threshold stress in the creep process of the composites leads to an increase in activation energy for creep.

Influence of Microstructure and Experimental Parameters on Mechanical and Wear Properties of Al-TiC Surface Composite by FSP Route

Surface properties decide the fatigue, wear and corrosion behavior of a material. Hence their performance can be improved by surface modifications. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is a promising technique to develop surface composite. The aim of the present study is to develop defect free surface composite of Al 5083 alloy reinforced with TiC particles and investigate the particle distribution in the matrix, mechanical properties and wear behavior of the composites. Microstructural observations were carried out by using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructural studies revealed that distribution of particles were more uniform in samples subjected to double pass than the single pass FSP. The microhardness profiles along top surface and across the cross section of the processed samples were evaluated. The average hardness along the top surface was found to increase by 27.27%, as compared to that of the base metal (88Hv). The particles were incorporated maximum average depth about 250μm in the surface composite. The slurry erosion tests revealed that the wear rate was highly reduced in case of double pass FSP samples as compared to base metal and single pass FSPed

Formation and growth mechanism of TiC crystal in TiC_p/Ti composites

Ti C and Ti Al C alloys were prepared using gravity and directional solidification processes. Morphologies of TiC crystal were investigated by using SEM, XRD and EDX. Also, the formation and growth mechanism of TiC crystal have been analyzed on the basis of coordination polyhedron growth unit theory. During solidification of titanium alloys, the coordination polyhedron growth unit is TiC 6. TiC 6 growth units stack in a linking mode of edge to edge and form octahedral TiC crystal with {111} planes as present faces. Although the growing geometry of TiC crystal is decided by its lattice structure, the final morphology of TiC crystal depends on the effects of its growth environment. In solute concentration distribution, the super saturation of C or TiC 6 at the corners of octahedral TiC crystal is much higher than that of edges and faces of octahedral TiC crystal. At these corners the driving force for crystal growth is greater and the interface is instable which contribute to quick stacking rate of growth units at these corners and result in secondary dendrite arms along TiC crystallographic <100> directions. TiC crystal finally grows to be dendrites.

Dry sliding friction and wear behaviors of TiC_p/ZA- 12 composites

The TiC particle reinforced ZA 12 matrix composites was fabricated by XD TM process combined with stirring casting and its friction and wear properties under dry conditions were investigated using MM 200 wear testing apparatus. The effects of TiC particle content and applied load on the wear resistance properties of the composites were studied. The results show that the friction and wear properties can be greatly improved with an increase in the TiC particle content. The wear mass loss of the composites and the unreinforced ZA 12 matrix alloy increase with increasing applied load, but the increased extent of the former is smaller than that of the latter. Finally the morphologies of worn surface was analyzed using scanning electron microscope(SEM).

Tribological properties of Ni-base alloy composite coating modified by both graphite and TiC particles

In order to reduce the friction coefficient of Ni-base alloy coating and further improve its wear resistance,Ni-base alloy composite coatings modified by both graphite and TiC particles were prepared by plasma spray technology on the surface of 45 carbon steel.The results show that friction coefficient of the composite coating is 47.45% lower than that of the Ni-base alloy coating,and the wear mass loss is reduced by 59.1%.Slip lines and severe adhesive plastic deformation are observed on the worn surface of the Ni-base alloy coating,indicating that the wear mechanisms of the Ni-base alloy coating are multi-plastic deformation wear and adhesive wear.A soft transferred layer abundant in graphite and ferric oxide is developed on the worn surface of the composite coating,which reduces the friction coefficient and wear loss in a great deal.The main wear mechanism of the composite coating is fatigue delamination of the transferred layer.

Synthesis of Y_2O_3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite on TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding

A Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite coating was fabricated in-situ on a TC4 Ti alloy by laser surface cladding. The phase component, microstructure, composition distribution and properties of the composite layer were investigated. The composite layer has graded microstructures and compositions, due to the fast melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling during laser cladding. The TiC powders are completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The size of TiC dendrites decreases with increasing depth. Y2O3 fine particles distribute in the whole clad layer. The Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite layer has a quite uniform hardness along depth with a maximum value of HV1380, which is 4 times higher than the initial hardness. The wear resistance of the Ti alloy is significantly improved after laser cladding due to the high hardness of the composite coating.

Tribological behavior and mechanisms of graphite/CaF_2/TiC/Ni-base alloy composite coatings

In order to reduce the friction coefficients and improve the wear resistance of mechanical parts, which work in the severe friction and wear conditions at heavy loads, the graphite/CaFg/TiC/Ni-base alloy composite coatings were prepared by plasma spray and their tribological behavior and mechanisms were investigated. The results show that the friction coefficients of the composite coatings are in the range of 0.22-0.288, which are reduced by 25.9% to 53% compared with those of the pure Ni-base alloy coatings, and the wear rates of the former are 18.6%-70.1% less than those of the latter. When wear against GCr15 steel balls, a transferred layer mainly composed of ferric oxides, graphite and CaF2 may gradually develop on the worn surface of the composite coatings, which made the friction and wear between GCr15 steel ball and the composite coatings change into that between the former and the transferred layer. So the friction coefficients and the wear lubrication effect of the transferred layer. The main wear layer in friction process. rates of the composite coatings are greatly reduced because of the solid mechanism of the composite coatings is delamination of the transferred

Effects of graphite content on microstructure and tribological properties of graphite/TiC/Ni-base alloy composite coatings

In order to reduce the friction coefficients and further improve the anti-wear properties of Ni-base alloy coatings reinforced by TiC particles,graphite/TiC/Ni-base alloy（GTN） coatings were prepared on the surface of 45 carbon steel.The effects of graphite content on the microstructure and tribological properties of the GTN coatings were investigated.The results show that the addition of graphite to the GTN coatings may greatly reduce the friction coefficients and improve their wear resistance.The 6.56GTN and 12.71GTN coatings exhibit excellent integrated properties of anti-friction and wear resistance under low and high loads,respectively.Under a low load,the wear mechanisms of the GTN coatings are mainly multi-plastic deformation with slight abrasive wear and gradually change into mixture of multi-plastic deformation,delamination and micro-cutting wear with the increase of graphite fraction.As the load increases,the main wear mechanisms gradually change from micro-cracks,micro-cutting and adhesive wear to micro-cutting and micro-fracture with the increase of graphite fraction.