Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Rolled (TiC + Ti1400)/TC4 Composites

One of the long-standing challenges in the field of titanium matrix composites is achieving the synergistic optimization of high strength and excellent ductility. When pursuing high strength characteristics in materials, it is often difficult to consider their ductility. Therefore, this study prepared a Ti1400 alloy and in situ synthesized TiC-reinforced (TiC + Ti1400)/TC4 composites using low-energy ball milling and spark plasma sintering technology, followed by hot rolling, to obtain titanium matrix composites with excellent mechanical properties. The Ti1400 alloy bonded well with the matrix, forming uniformly distributed Ti1400 regions within the matrix, and TiC particles were discontinuously distributed around the TiC-lean regions, forming a three-dimensional network structure. The (TiC + Ti1400)/TC4 composites effectively enhanced their yield strength to 1524 MPa by using 3 wt.% of Ti1400 alloy while preserving an impressive elongation of 9%. When the Ti1400 alloy content reaches 20 wt.%, the overall mechanical properties of the composites decrease. A small amount of Ti1400 does not reduce the strength of the composite. On the contrary, it can undergo stress-induced phase transformation during plastic deformation, thereby coordinating deformation, which not only provides higher strain hardening and increases tensile strength but also benefits ductility.