Characteristics of quadruplet Ti–Mo–TiB2–TiC composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Abstract

The spark plasma sintering process was implemented to produce four different composites, namely Ti-10 wt% Mo-(0.5, 1, 2, and 4) wt% (TiB2 + TiC). All samples were sintered at 1300 °C for 5 min under 50 MPa. A full study was carried out on the mechanical properties and the relative density of these SPSed composite samples. The best relative density of around 98.7% was related to the sample with 1 wt% (TiB2 + TiC). The role of relative density was so predominant that the best values for all mechanical properties, i.e., bending strength, hardness, elongation, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS), were achieved for those with the highest relative density values. The formation of the in-situ TiB phase was proved by the XRD analysis. Besides, microscopical investigations (optical and SEM) showed that adding more ceramic additives led to an increased amount of porosity while Mo solubility decreased in the titanium matrix. Finally, different fracture modes on the surfaces of composite samples were studied using SEM images.