The Effect of Relative Thickness on Microstructures of TiB2/TiC Particles Reinforced Carbon Steel Matrix Surface Composite

Abstract

This paper introduces a process that combines a vacuum expandable pattern casting V-EPC with self-propagation high–temperature synthesis SHS of TiB2/TiC particles for fabricating the TiB2/TiC duplex particulates reinforced carbon steel matrix surface composite, and the effect of relative thickness δ on metallurgical quality and microstructures. FeTi-FeB-FeCr system with low cost is adopted as the SHS reactant. Experimental results show that with increasing δ, the surface composite is gradually formed and the metallurgical quality improved. The typical microstructures of the composite from surface to core are consisted of three different layers, i.e., the surface compound layer, the interim transitional layer and the carbon steel base. A certain amount of fineTiB2/TiC particles is distributed in the matrix of the surface compound layer.