Rapid reactive synthesis of Ti₂AlC-TiB₂ composites by spark plasma sintering

Rapid reactive synthesis of Ti₂AlC-TiB₂ composites by spark plasma sintering

In this paper, dense Ti₂AlC/TiB₂ composites were successfully fabricated by a rapid reactive sintering process by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique using Ti, Al, TiC and B₄C powders. The microstructure, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the Vickers hardness increased with an increase in TiB₂ content. The maximum flexural strength (573 MPa) and fracture toughness (6.2 MPa·m½) were achieved through the addition of 10 vol%TiB₂. The incorporation of a TiB₂ phase makes a positive contribution to its electrical conductivity.

In this paper, dense Ti₂AlC/TiB₂ composites were successfully fabricated by a rapid reactive sintering process by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique using Ti, Al, TiC and B₄C powders. The microstructure, flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the Vickers hardness increased with an increase in TiB₂ content. The maximum flexural strength (573 MPa) and fracture toughness (6.2 MPa·m½) were achieved through the addition of 10 vol%TiB₂. The incorporation of a TiB₂ phase makes a positive contribution to its electrical conductivity.