Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Inconel 718/TiC Metal Matrix Composites: Influence of TiC Content on...

This paper investigated the influence of titanium carbide (TiC) content on the processing, microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of Inconel 718/TiC composites produced by binder jetting additive manufacturing. It was found that increasing the amount of TiC required an increase of the drying intensity during printing due to a decrease in the thermal conductivity of the powder mixture. The sintering process also depended on the TiC content. The most optimal modes were 1270 °C for 10 h for samples with 0 and 3% TiC and 1280 °C for 5 h for samples with 5 and 10% TiC. The hardness of the materials increased as the proportion of reinforcement increased. The best tensile properties, also at high temperatures, were possessed by samples with 3% TiC, showing high strength and, in addition, satisfactory plasticity. The maximum wear resistance was achieved by the composite material containing 5% TiC.