Ballistic performance of titanium-based layered composites made using blended elemental powder metallurgy and hot isostatic pressing

Metal matrix composites tiles based on Ti-6Al-4V(Ti64)alloy,reinforced with 10,20,and 40(vol%)of either TiC or TiB particles were made using press-and-sinter blended elemental powder metallurgy(BEPM)and then bonded together into 3-layer laminated plates using hot isostatic pressing(HIP).The laminates were ballistically tested and demonstrated superior performance.The microstructure and properties of the laminates were analyzed to determine the effect of the BEPM and HIP processing on the ballistic properties of the layered plates.The effect of porosity in sintered composites on further diffusion bonding of the plates during HIP is analyzed to understand the bonding features at the interfaces between different adjacent layers in the laminate.Exceptional ballistic performance of fabricated structures was explained by a significant reduction in the residual porosity of the BEPM products by their additional processing using HIP,which provides an unprecedented increase in the hardness of the layered composites.It is argued that the combination of the used two technologies,BEPM and HIP is principally complimentary for the materials in question with the abilities to solve the essential problems of each used individually.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of GTA weldments of titanium matrix composites prepared with or without current pulsing

The effects of current pulsing on the microstructure, hardness and tensile properties at different temperatures of gas tungsten arc （GTA） weldments of titanium matrix composites were studied. Full-penetration butt joints were made with or without current pulsing. Optical microscopy, hardness test and scanning electron microscopy were employed to evaluate the metallurgical characteristics of welded joints. Tensile properties of weldments at different temperatures were studied and correlated with the microstructure. The results exhibit that current pulsing leads to the refinement of the weld microstrucmre and TiB whisker and the redistribution of reinforcements resulting in higher hardness, tensile strength and ductility of weldments in the as-welded condition.

Interconnected microstructure and flexural behavior of Ti_(2)C-Ti composites with superior Young’s modulus

To enhance the Young’s modulus(E)and strength of titanium alloys,we designed titanium matrix composites with intercon-nected microstructure based on the Hashin-Shtrikman theory.According to the results,the in-situ reaction yielded an interconnected microstructure composed of Ti_(2)C particles when the Ti_(2)C content reached 50vol%.With widths of 10 and 230 nm,the intraparticle Ti lamellae in the prepared composite exhibited a bimodal size distribution due to precipitation and the unreacted Ti phase within the grown Ti_(2)C particles.The composites with interconnected microstructure attained superior properties,including E of 174.3 GPa and ultimate flexural strength of 1014 GPa.Compared with that of pure Ti,the E of the composite was increased by 55% due to the high Ti_(2)C content and interconnected microstructure.The outstanding strength resulted from the strong interfacial bonding,load-bearing capacity of interconnected Ti_(2)C particles,and bimodal intraparticle Ti lamellae,which minimized the average crack driving force.Interrupted flexural tests revealed preferential crack initiation along the{001}cleavage plane and grain boundary of Ti_(2)C in the region with the highest tensile stress.In addition,the propagation can be efficiently inhibited by interparticle Ti grains,which prevented the brittle fracture of the composites.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of(TiC+TiB)/TA15 composites prepared by an in-situ synthesis method

Titanium matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles are considered a promising engineering material due to their combination of high specific strength,low density,and high modulus.In this study,the TA15-based composites reinforced with a volume fraction of 10% to 25%(TiB+TiC)were prepared using powder metallurgy and casting technique.Microstructural characterization and phase constitution were examined using optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).In addition,the microhardness,room temperature(RT)and high temperature(HT)tensile properties of the composites were evaluated.Results revealed that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly even in the composites with a high volume of TiB and TiC.However,as the volume fraction exceeds 15%,TiB and TiC particles become coarsening and exhibit rod-like and dendritic-like morphology.Microhardness increases gradually from 321.2 HV for the base alloy to a maximum of 473.3 HV as the reinforcement increases to 25vol.%.Tensile test results indicate that a reinforcement volume fraction above 20% is beneficial for enhancing tensile strength and yield strength at high temperatures,but it has an adverse effect on room temperature elongation.Conversely,if the reinforcement volume fraction is below 20%,it can improve high-temperature elongation when the temperature exceeds 600℃.

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.

Microstructure and formation mechanism of titanium matrix composites coating on Ti-6Al-4V by laser cladding

Laser cladding experiments were done on a 5-kW continuous wave CO2 laser to synthesize TiC and TiB rein- fowed titanium matrix composite coatings on Ti-6AI-4V alloy with a mixture of Ti and B4C precursor powder. The ther- modynamics of the reactions were calculated and analyzed. The microstructure and phase evolution of TiB and TiC com- posites were investigated. The results showed that the chemical reaction between Ti and B4C would release much heat, and these compounds, TiC, TiB, and small amount of TiB2, can be formed on the surface of Ti-6AI-4V alloy if the supplied en- ergy is sufficient to excite the reaction among the initial products. A good metallurgical bond between the coating and the substrate can be achieved. The microhardness of coating was irregular and the maximum value was approximately HV600.

Microstructure and thermal properties of copper matrix composites reinforced with titanium-coated graphite fibers

Milled form of mesophase pitch-based graphite fibers were coated with a titanium layer using chemical vapor deposition technique and Ti-coated graphite fiber/Cu composites were fabricated by hot-pressing sintering. The composites were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopies, and by mea- suring thermal properties, including thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion （CTE）. The results show that the milled fibers are preferentially oriented in a plane perpendicular to the pressing direction, leading to anisotropic thermal properties of the composites. The Ti coating reacted with graphite fiber and formed a continuous and uniform TiC layer. This carbide layer establishes a good metallurgical interracial bonding in the composites, which can improve the thermal properties effectively. When the fiber content ranges from 35 vol% to 50 vol%, the in-plane thermal conductivities of the composites increase from 383 to 407 W.（m.K）-~, and the in-plane CTEs decrease from 9.5 x 10-6 to 6.3 10-6 K-1.

Manufacturing Titanium Metal Matrix Composites by Consolidating Matrix Coated Fibres

Titanium metal matrix composites （TiMMCs） reinforced by continuous silicon carbide fibres are being developed for aerospace applications. TiMMCs manufactured by the consolidation of matrix-coated fibre （MCF） method offer optimum properties because of the resulting uniform fibre distribution, minimum fibre damage and fibre volume fraction control. In this paper, the consolidation of Ti-6Al-4V matrix-coated SiC fibres during vacuum hot pressing has been investigated. Experiments were carried out on multi-ply MCFs under vacuum hot pressing （VHP）. In contrast to most of existing studies, the fibre, arrangement has been carefully controlled either in square or hexagonal arrays throughout the consolidated sample. This has enabled the dynamic consolidation behaviour of MCFs to be demonstrated by eliminating the fibre re-arrangement during the VHP process. The microstructural evolution of the matrix coating was reported and the deformation mechanisms involved were discussed.

Wear modes in open porosity titanium matrix composites with TiC addition processed by spark plasma sintering

This work focused on the influence of TiC reinforcing particles on the tribological properties of titanium matrix composites(TMCs)with open porosity,processed by spark plasma sintering(SPS).Materials composed of an equimolar mixture of Ti and TiH2 with 0,3,10 and 30 vol.% of TiC were sintered at 850 ℃.Nanoindentation and wear tests were carried out to assess the nanohardness and the wear resistance in a tribometer with a reciprocating sliding ball-on-flat configuration.Results showed a nanohardness increment from 5 to 14 GPa with increasing TiC content.The coefficient of friction(CoF)showed a minimum of 0.2 for 10% TiC grade,which also showed the lowest wear rate.For the low TiC content sample,adhesive wear with severe plastic deformation was identified.Meanwhile,medium content TiC sample showed a mechanical mixed layer(MML),whereas high TiC content composite showed abrasive as the main wear mechanism.In conclusion,the wear mechanisms,CoFs and wear volume changed with TiC content.

Dynamic recrystallization and silicide precipitation behavior of titanium matrix composites under different strains

In order to elucidate the microstructure evolution and silicide precipitation behavior during high-temperature deformation,TiB reinforced titanium matrix composites were subjected to isothermal hot compression at 950℃,strain rate of 0.05 s^(−1) and employing different strains of 0.04,0.40,0.70 and 1.00.The results show that with the increase of strain,a decrease in the content,dynamic recrystallization of theαphase and the vertical distribution of TiB along the compression axis lead to stress stability.Meantime,continuous dynamic recrystallization reduces the orientation difference of the primaryαphase,which weakens the texture strength of the matrix.The recrystallization mechanisms are strain-induced grain boundary migration and particle stimulated nucleation by TiB.The silicide of Ti_(6)Si_(3) is mainly distributed at the interface of TiB andαphase.The precipitation of silicide is affected by element diffusion,and TiB whisker accelerates the precipitation behavior of silicide by hindering the movement of dislocations and providing nucleation particles.

Research on development of in situ titanium matrix composites and in situ reaction thermodynamics of the reaction systems

The in situ synthesis method for titanium matrix composites （TMCs） has obvious technical and economical advantages over other traditional methods. Ultrafine reinforcement particles were formed in situ by chemical reaction between elements or between elements and compounds. Using the approach, contamination at the composite matrix/reinforcement particle interface did not occur, interface bonding was good, and the reinforcement particle was thermodynamically stable. The stage of development of the preparation process for in situ TMCs as well as the thermodynamic analysis of the possible in situ reaction systems was described.

Characterization of ceramic reinforced titanium matrix composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering for anti-ballistic applications

Titanium has found extensive use in various engineering applications due to its attractive physical,mechanical, and chemical characteristics. However, titanium has relatively low hardness for use as an armour material. ZrB2 was incorporated to the Ti matrix to form a Ti-based binary composites. In this study, powder metallurgy techniques were employed to disperse the ceramic particulates throughout the matrix material then consolidated through spark plasma sintering. The composites were densified at1300 ℃, pressure of 50 MPa, and holding time of 5 min. The microstructure and phase analysis of the sintered composites was carried out using SEM and XRD, while the hardness was determined using Vickers' microhardness tester. The SEM and XRD results confirmed the presence of the TiB whiskers which renowned with the improving the hardness of titanium. The hardness of the composite with 10 wt% ZrB_2 showed the highest hardness compared to that obtained for the 5 and 15 wt% ZrB_2 composites which was 495 and 571 Hv respectively.

Milling Machinability of TiC Particle and TiB Whisker Hybrid Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites

The milling machinabilities of titanium matrix composites were comprehensively evaluated to provide a theoretical basis for cutting parameter determination. Polycrystalline diamond （PCD） tools with different grain sizes and geometries, and carbide tools with and without coatings were used in the experiments. Milling forces, milling temperatures, tool lifetimes, tool wear, and machined surface integrities were investigated. The PCD tool required a primary cutting force 15 % smaller than that of the carbide tool, while the uncoated carbide tool required a primary cutting force 10% higher than that of the TiA1N-eoated tool. A cutting force of 300 N per millimeter of the cutting edge （300 N/mm） was measured. This caused excessive tool chipping. The cutting temperature of the PCD tool was 20%-30% lower than that of the carbide tool, while that of the TiA1N-coated tool was 12% lower than that of the uncoated carbide tool. The cutting temperatures produced when using water-based cooling and minimal quantity lubrication （MQL） were reduced by 100 ~C and 200 ~C, compared with those recorded with dry cutting, respectively. In general, the PCD tool lifetimes were 2--3 times longer than the carbide tool lifetimes. The roughness Ra of the machined surface was less than 0.6μm, and the depth of the machined surface hardened layer was in the range of 0.15-0.25 mm for all of the PCD tools before a flank wear land of 0.2 mm was reached. The PCD tool with a 0.8 mm tool nose radius, 0% rake angle, 10% flank angle, and grain size of （30＋2） μm exhibited the best cutting performance. For this specific tool, a lifetime of 16 rain can be expected.

Microstructure evolution during preparation of in-situ TiB reinforced titanium matrix composites

By means of DTA, SHS quenching, XRD and SEM, the microstructure evolution during fabricating of TiB reinforced in situ titanium matrix composite was studied. DTA result shows that there are two exothermic and one endothermic reaction during heating of Ti B Al system. The exothermic reactions correspond to the solid solid diffusion reaction between Ti and Al, and the reaction of TiB formation respectively, and the endothermic reaction corresponds to melting of Al. The sample of SHS quenching presents four regions: unreacted region, heat affected region, reacting region and product region. The microstructures of these regions reflect the process of microstructure evolution during preparation of in situ TiB reinforced TMC. Ti, B, Al powders are in simple mechanical contact in the unreacted region; the sharp angles of original metal particles have become round and B diffuses into melted Al in the heat affected region; TiB whiskers begin to appear and grow in the interior of reacting region. In product region, the TiB whiskers are uniform and fine. The result of XRD indicates that the reinforcements formed in product region are TiB whiskers. And the TiB is a hexagonal prism with a pyramidal head.

Microstructure and properties of submicron-scale TiC particle reinforced titanium matrix composites prepared by shock wave consolidation

Submicron-scale TiC particle reinforced titanium matrix composites(TMCs) were prepared by shock wave consolidation technique at detonation speed of 2 5005 000 m/s. The microstructures were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compressive strength and hardness values of the composites were also determined. The results show that the composites have higher compressive yield strength and hardness values than hot-rolled pure titanium. Twins in the microstructure of TMCs show that titanium particles undergo plastic deformation during consolidation process. The fine grains with size less than 1 μm often locate in the boundaries among the titanium particles. TiC particles seem to keep unchanged during the consolidation. These bring about the increase in strength and hardness for the composites. The detonation speed of 3 200 m/s is proper parameter for compacting powder in the present work.

Finite Element Analysis of Push-Out Test of SiC Fiber Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites

Based on the interphase layer model and the spring layer model, an improved interface model was developed to evaluate the interfacial shear strength of Titanium matrix composites(TMCs) and to analyze the effects of various parameters on the interfacial properties. The results showed that the improved interface model is more suitable for calculating the interfacial properties of SiC fiber reinforced titanium matrix composites. The interfacial shear strength of SiC/Timetal-834 predicted is 500 MPa. In addition, in order to better understand the interfacial properties of composites, some push out phenomenon were analyzed.

Evaluation the Properties of Titanium Matrix Composites by Melting Route Synthesis

The main purpose of this study is an in-situ synthesis of （TiB＋TiC） hybrid titanium matrix composites （TMCs） by vacuum induction melting method and to verify its mechanical properties.The melting route was adopted to synthesize the commercial pure titanium （cp Ti） and granular boron carbide （B-4C）.The reinforcements,the fraction of 10 vol.pct,were formed by adding 1.88 wt pct B-4C to cp Ti.After in-situ synthesis of TMCs,electron probe micro-analysis elemental mapping was carried out to confirm the distribution and shape of reinforcements.The cone-on-disk type sliding wear test was also done for the identification of TMCs.It is concluded that （TiB＋TiC） hybrid TMCs can be in-situ synthesized and has better wear properties than H13.

Microstructure of in situ TiC particle reinforced titanium alloy matrix composites

TiC particle reinforced titanium alloy matrix composites with different aluminum content was prepared by the XD TM method. The constitute phase and the microstructure of the composites were studied by XRD and SEM. The results show that the calculated lattice parameter of TiC there exists a diffraction peak shift for TiC, which may be due to the vacancies of C in TiC. The stoichiometry of TiC is Ti 62 C 38 . There exist two different kinds of TiC in the composites: dendritic primary TiC and short bar shape eutectic TiC, respectively. Although TiC of macrostructure is homogeneously distributed in the matrix, the eutectic TiC of microstructure mainly segregates at the grain boundary, especially at the triangular grain boundaries. The aluminum content has a great influence on the morphology of TiC. With increasing aluminum content up to 25%, the size of TiC becomes small although it is still in dendrite or short bar shape. When the aluminum content is more than 35%, TiC is changed into thin plate or particle and the size is about 2～5 μm. [

Reaction Processes of the Titanium Matrix Composites Fabricated from Ti-Al-B2O3 System

Titanium matrix composites reinforced with a-Al2O3 and TiB2 particles were fabricated by in situ synthesis from a Ti-Al-B2O3 system. The reaction processes and microstructure were analyzed by using differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）. The results showed that the reactions in the Ti-Al-B2O3 system can occur spontaneously and consist of three steps： 1） 15 Al ＋ 7B2O3 → 7α-Al2O3 ＋ AlB12 ＋ 2B; 2） 14 B ＋ 2Al → AlB12 ＋ AlB2 and 3） 7Ti ＋ AlB（12） ＋ AlB2 → 7TiB2 ＋ 2Al. The final reinforcements were composed of α-Al2O3 and TiB2 particles, which were uniformly distributed in the titanium matrix.

Microstructure and interface thermal stability of C/Mo double-coated SiC fiber reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composites

C/Mo duplex coating interfacially modified SiC fiber-reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composite （SiCf/C/Mo/γ-TiA1） was prepared by foil-fiber-foil method to investigate its interfacial modification effect. SiCf/C/TiAl composites were also prepared under the same processing condition for comparision. Both kinds of the composites were thermally exposed in vacuum at 800 and 900℃ for different durations in order to study thermal stability of the interfacial zone. With the aids of scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, the interracial microstructures of the composites were investigated. The results reveal that, although adding the Mo coating, the interfacial reaction product of the SiCf/C/Mo/TiAl composite is the same with that of the SiCf/C/TiA1 composite, which is TiC/Ti2AlC between the coating and the matrix. However, C/Mo duplex coating is more efficient in hindering interfacial reaction than C single coating at 900 ℃ and below. In addition, a new layer of interfacial reaction product was found between Ti2AlC and the matrix after 900 ℃, 200 h thermal exposure, which is rich in V and close to the chemical composition of B2 phase.