Fabrication of titanium carbide reinforced iron matrix cermet by vacuum carbothermal reduction of ilmenite

Abstract

Iron matrix cermet reinforced with TiC has been produced by vacuum carbothermal reduction of ilmenite followed by sintering processes. The influences of reduction temperature and carbon mass ratio were discussed in detail. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were employed to characterize the phase composition and microstructures. After carbothermic reduction, most of Mg, Mn, Ca evaporated from the sample; Si and part of Al was dissolved in the iron matrix. The obtained powders were used as the raw materials to produce TiC-Fe cermet by vacuum sintering. Density, hardness and bending strength of the samples were examined. The optimal cermet products after heat treatment had a density of 5.38 g?cm-1, a hardness of 1125.5 HV and a bending strength of 667 MPa, which was obtained at the carbon/ilmenite mass ratio of 0.378:1 at 1773 K under the pressure of 10 Pa.