Processing-structure-property correlations of in situ Al/TiB2 composites processed by aluminothermic reduction process

Abstract

Abstract This paper reports the influence of process parameters on the size and distribution of in situ titanium diboride (TiB2) particles within the aluminium (Al) matrix. TiB2 particles were formed as a result of the in situ reaction of potassium hexafluorotitanate (K2TiF6) and potassium tetra fluoroborate (KBF4) with molten Al. Two process parameters, namely, the addition time (AT) and holding time (HT) of precursor salts, were considered. The Al/TiB2 composites were produced by allowing the in situ reaction to occur at various ATs (10, 20, and 30 min) and HTs (20, 30, and 40 min). Results showed that the formation of TiB2 was confirmed by XRD analysis. The microstructure, TiB2 particle size, hardness, yield strength (YS), and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were strongly affected by the said process parameters. The variations in hardness and UTS were highly consistent with those found in the microstructure of the composites. Compared with the Al parent material, the increase in the average hardness and UTS of the composite were 51% and 44%, respectively. This improvement was achieved for the composite sample fabricated with 20 min of AT and 30 min of HT. At this condition, the composite displayed near-uniform particle distribution.