Three-dimensional microstructural characterization of discontinuously reinforced Ti64–TiB composites produced via blended elemental powder metallurgy

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) microstructures of TiB reinforcement in two discontinuously reinforced Ti–6Al–4V (Ti64) alloy composites produced via blended elemental (BE) powder metallurgy are reconstructed from large-area high-resolution optical montage serial sections. The TiB phase in both composites shows whisker morphology with roughly hexagonal cross-sections, a unimodal size distribution, and uniform random morphological orientations. The TiB whiskers in these composites are significantly coarser compared to similar materials produced via pre-alloyed powder metallurgy but did not contain coarse primary TiB particles.