Fabrication of(TiB/Ti)-TiAl composites with a controlled laminated architecture and enhanced mechanical properties

The(TiB/Ti)-TiAl composites with a laminated structure composing of alternating TiB/Ti composite layers,α_(2)-Ti_(3)Al interfacial reaction layers of andγ-TiAl layers were successfully pre pared by spark plasma sintering of alternately stacked Tib_(2)/Ti powder layers and TiAl powder layers.And the influence of thickness ratio of Tib_(2)/Ti powder layers to TiAl powder layers on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the re sulting(TiB/Ti)-TiAl laminated composites were investigated systemically.The results showed that the thickening ofα_(2)-Ti_(3)Al layers which originated from the reaction of Ti and TiAl was significantly hindered by introducing Tib_(2)particles into starting Ti powders.As the thickness ratio of Tib_(2)/Ti powder layers to TiAl powder layers increased,the bending fracture strength and fracture toughness at room temperature of the final(TiB/Ti)-TiAl laminated composites were remarkably improved,especially for the(TiB/Ti)-TiAl composites prepared by Tib_(2)/Ti powder layers with thickness of 800μm and TiAl powder layers with thickness of 400μm,whose fracture toughness and bending strength were up to 51.2 MPa·m^(1/2)and 1456 MPa,respectively,293%and 108%higher than that of the monolithic TiAl alloys in the present work.This was attributed to the addition of high-performance network TiB/Ti composite layers.Moreover,it was noteworthy that the ultimate tensile strength at 700℃of(TiB/Ti)-TiAl composites fabricated by 400μm thick Tib_(2)/Ti powder layers and 400μm thick TiAl powder layers was as high as that at 550℃of network TiB/Ti composites.This means the service temperature of(TiB/Ti)-TiAl laminated composites was likely raised by 150℃,meanwhile a good combination of high strength and high toughness at ambient tempe rature could be maintained.Finally,the fracture mechanism of(TiB/Ti)-TiAl laminated composites was proposed.