Crystallographic orientation and interface characteristics between in-situ TiC reinforcement and matrix before and after thermal deformation

TiC reinforcement significantly affects the mechanical properties of wear-resistant steel. However, the formation behavior of TiC and the interface characteristics between the TiC reinforcement and matrix are still unclear. This study addresses these issues by investigating the orientation characteristics of TiC reinforcements before and after thermal deformation. This study determined that the interface is formed by direct contact between the TiC reinforcement and matrix before thermal deformation, and the interface of the TiC/matrix is clean, flat, and sharp. The Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationship was observed between the TiC reinforcement and ferrite matrix before thermal deformation, which is inherited from the orientation relationship between austenite and TiC during the solidification process. The orientation relationship between these three phases can be expressed as (110)alpha//(111)TiC//(111)gamma and [111]alpha//[110]TiC//[110]gamma. As the thermoplasticity of the TiC and matrix are different, the original coarse TiC reinforcement becomes fragmented and diffusely distributed after thermal deformation, and the orientation of the TiC reinforcement in the thermally deformed material becomes random. The orientation relationship between the TiC particles and adjacent matrix was also altered, and the interface characteristics of the close-packed (111) plane of TiC being parallel to the close-packed (110) plane of ferrite and the close-packed [110] TiC being parallel to the close-packed [111] ferrite disappeared.

Automated summary

This study investigates the orientation characteristics of TiC reinforcements before and after thermal deformation and reveals the interface characteristics between the TiC reinforcement and matrix as well as the effects of thermal deformation on TiC particles. The results show that the interface is formed by direct contact between the TiC reinforcement and matrix before thermal deformation, and the interface is clean, flat, and sharp. After thermal deformation, the orientation of the TiC reinforcement becomes random, and the interface characteristics change.