Microstructure and mechanical properties of lightweight TiC-steel composite prepared by liquid pressing infiltration process

A TiC reinforced steel composite was fabricated by a liquid pressing infiltration (LPI) process. The TiC reinforced steel composites with density < 6.0 g/cm(3) were fabricated with a high volume fraction of TiC reinforcement. The results showed that the core-rim structure in the composite was formed by partial dissolution of the reinforcement during the LPI process. The effect of dissolution of TiC particles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated. Enhanced mechanical properties are attributed to the effective load transfer from the matrix to the TiC because of the strong interfacial bonding. This interfacial stability results from chemical bonding from the partial dissolution and the precipitation of the TiC during the process. In order to establish the correlation between the core-rim structure and properties of the composite, the hardness (H) and Young's modulus (E) were examined by nano-indentation.