Synthesis and Workability Behavior of Cu-X wt.% TiC (x = 0, 4, 8, and 12) Powder Metallurgy Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Copper (Cu) matrix composites offer tunable properties for various applications.
• Titanium carbide (TiC) is a hard ceramic with potential as a reinforcing agent.
• Powder metallurgy (PM) is a versatile technique for fabricating metal matrix composites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate Cu-TiC composites using powder metallurgy.
• To investigate the effect of varying TiC content (0-12 wt%) on composite properties.
• To analyze the mechanical behavior, including true stresses and stress ratios, under cold upsetting.

Main Methods:

• Powder metallurgy involving ball milling, hydraulic pressing, and sintering at 950°C.
• Microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
• Phase identification via X-ray Diffraction (XRD).
• Mechanical testing through cold upsetting to determine true stresses and strains.

Main Results:

• Increased TiC content led to higher density and hardness in the Cu-TiC composites.
• SEM and XRD confirmed the distribution of TiC particles and the presence of constituent phases.
• Analysis of axial, hoop, hydrostatic, and effective true stresses revealed significant changes with TiC addition.
• Stress ratio parameters also showed a positive correlation with increasing TiC content.

Conclusions:

• The powder metallurgy method is effective for producing Cu-TiC composites.
• Higher TiC content improves the mechanical properties, including strength and hardness.
• The study provides valuable data on the mechanical response of these composites for engineering applications.