Fabrication of in-situ rod-like TiC particles dispersed Ti matrix composite using graphite power sheet

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) with TiC reinforcements were fabricated by an in-situ method that evolves pure titanium foils (thick: 100 μm) and graphite powder sheets by spark plasma sintering. 20 μm thick graphite powder sheets with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) were fabricated as carbon resources. The effects of different sintering temperatures and heating time on microstructural features, interface, and properties of the composites were investigated. The structural and microstructural analyses were performed by EPMA, FE-SEM, and EDS. The XRD patterns taken from the cross-section of the prepared composites revealed the composites are composed of TiC_x and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) α-Ti. Homogeneous rod-like TiC_x particles reinforced TMCs were evaluated by tensile property. The tensile properties of the rod-like TiC_x-reinforced TMC show that the tensile strength (UTS) is 479 Mpa, which is 81.4% higher than pure titanium. The formation mechanism and enhancement mechanism of rod-like TiC_x particles are also discussed.