Reaction Layer Analysis of In Situ Reinforced Titanium Composites: Influence of the Starting Material Composition on the Mechanical Properties

This study aims at the analysis of the reaction layer between titanium matrices and reinforcements: B4C particles and/or intermetallic TixAly. Likewise, the importance of these reactions was observed; this was particularly noteworthy as regard coherence with the obtained results and the parameters tested. Accordingly, five starting material compositions were studied under identical processing parameters via inductive hot pressing at 1100 C for 5 min in vacuum conditions. The results revealed how the intermetallics limited the formation of secondary phases (TiC and TiB) created from the B and C source. In this respect, the percentages of TiB and TiC slightly varied when the intermetallic was included in the matrix as prealloyed particles. On the contrary, if the intermetallics appeared in situ by the addition of Ti-Al powder in the starting blend, their content was lesser. The mechanical properties values and the tribology behaviour might deviate, depending on the percentage of the secondary phases formed and its distribution in the matrix.