Investigation into the Intermetallic Layers in Ti/Al Multi-Layer Composites Produced via Accumulative Rolling and Sintering

Abstract

For anti-penetration applications, multilayer composites combining hard brittle elements confronting penetrators and ductile materials at the back are attractive. Because of the weak connection between the ductile and hard brittle layers, these composites usually lose their anti-penetration capability when the hard, brittle layer falls apart. In the present work, attempts to produce in-situ hard, brittle layers were carried out through accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and post-sintering. It is found that an intermetallic interlayer of TiAl3 can be produced between Ti and Al plates with full integrity under a proper sintering condition. The diffusion mechanism between Ti and Al layers was analyzed via microstructural characterization. It implies that Al serves as the primary diffusion phase between Ti and Al plates. This work may shed light on the development of high-performance anti-penetration multi-layer composites.