Metal-Intermetallic Laminate Ti-Al3Ti Composites Produced by Spark Plasma Sintering of Titanium and Aluminum Foils Enclosed in Titanium Shells

Metal-intermetallic laminate composites are considered as promising materials for application in the aerospace industry. In this study, Ti-Al3Ti composites enclosed in titanium cases were produced by reactive spark plasma sintering. Sintering was carried out at 1103 K and 1323 K (830 A degrees C and 1050 A degrees C) for 10 minutes. In both cases, high-quality Ti-Al3Ti composites containing thin transition layers at the interfaces were obtained. Al2Ti, AlTi, and AlTi3 intermetallic phases and a solid solution of aluminum in titanium were observed in the transition layers by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The material sintered at 1323 K (1050 A degrees C) had higher strength in comparison with the composite obtained at 1103 K (830 A degrees C). However, the hardness of the intermetallic component in the sample sintered at higher temperature decreased due to the grain growth. The impact toughness values of both materials were approximately identical.