Enhanced ductility of Ti3AlC2 particles reinforced pure aluminum composites by interface control

In this paper, TiAl3 whiskers were in-situ formed at the interface of Ti3AlC2 particles reinforced pure aluminum composites through spark plasma sintering. The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of 20Ti3AlC2/80Al composites were investigated. It was confirmed that the size and content of TiAl3 whiskers could be adjusted by changing the preparation temperature. The XRD and TEM analyses indicate that the TiAl3 whiskers could be formed when the sintering temperature is 620 degrees C and above. The results also show that the formation of the TiAl3 phase at the interface could effectively improve the mechanical properties of the assintered composites, which is attributed to the enhanced effect of TiAl3 on interface bonding and load bearing. When fabricated at 620 degrees C, the average diameter of TiAl3 whiskers is 79 nm, and the elongation of the composite is up to 17.5%. In addition, obvious bending deformation of Ti3AlC2 particles was observed through the fracture morphology, indicating that the stress of the matrix was effectively transferred to the reinforcement. It is determined that in the Ti3AlC2/Al system, the stress of the matrix can be effectively transferred to the MAX phase through the interface control, and the strength and ductility of composites can be improved simultaneously through the coordinated deformation of the Ti3AlC2 particles.

Automated summary

In this study, TiAl3 whiskers were successfully in-situ formed at the interface of Ti3AlC2 particles reinforced pure aluminum composites through spark plasma sintering, with the size and content of TiAl3 whiskers controlled by changing the preparation temperature. The formation of TiAl3 phase at the interface was found to effectively improve the mechanical properties of the composites, especially when fabricated at 620 degrees C, where the average diameter of TiAl3 whiskers was 79 nm and the elongation of the composite reached 17.5%.