Improved mechanical properties in titanium matrix composites reinforced with quasi-continuously networked graphene nanosheets and in-situ formed carbides

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2021.03.073

Abstract

Abstract:

In order to construct quasi-continuously networked reinforcement in titanium (Ti) matrix composites, in this study, Ti-6Al-4V spherical powders were uniformly coated with a graphene nanosheet (GNS) layer by high energy ball milling and then consolidated by spark plasma sintering. Results showed that the GNS layer on the powder surface inhibited continuous metallurgy bonding between powders during sintering, which led to the formation of quasi-networked hybrid reinforcement structure consisting of in-situ TiC and remained GNSs. The networked GNSs/Ti64 composite possessed noticeably higher tensile strength but similar ductility to the Ti64 alloy, leading to both better tensile strength and ductility than the GNSs/Ti composite with randomly dispersed GNSs and TiC. The formation mechanism and the fracture mechanism of the networked hybrid reinforcement were discussed. The results provided a method to fabricate Ti matrix composites with high strength and good ductility.

Key words: Titanium matrix composites (TMCs), Graphene, Network structure, Strength, Ductility

Q. Yan, B. Chen, L. Cao, K.Y. Liu, S. Li, L. Jia, K. Kondoh, J.S. Li. Improved mechanical properties in titanium matrix composites reinforced with quasi-continuously networked graphene nanosheets and in-situ formed carbides[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 96: 85-93.

Figures/Tables 13

Fig. 1. (a) Schematical diagram of the SPS-fabricated networked GNSs/Ti64 composites. (b) The raw Ti64 powders. (c) Bright field image and SAD pattern of GNSs. (d) GNSs/Ti64 composite powders mixed by rocking mixing. (e) GNSs on the surface of powder particles. (f) The rocking mixed powder after ball milling. (g) EDS results of the powder image magnified in (f).

Fig. 2. XRD patterns of SPS-fabricated Ti64 alloy and composites (a) and Raman spectra of GNSs in different processes (b).

Fig. 3. Microstructures of networked GNSs/Ti64 composite: (a) BSE image. (b) BSE image of magnified blue box in (a). (c) SEM image of TiC boundary wall. (d) SEM image of α-Ti.

Table 1 Density and light elements content of as-built samples.

Samples	Density (g/cm³)	Theoretical density (g/cm³)	Relative density (%)	O (wt%)	N (wt%)	H (wt%)
Ti64 alloy	4.448	4.506	98.71	0.1299	0.001101	0008459
GNSs/Ti64	4.400	4.478	98.25	0.1755	0.009134	0.005207
Networked GNSs/Ti64	4.404	4.496	97.95	0.1867	0.003008	0.005335

Fig. 4. EBSD result of networked GNSs/Ti64 composite: (a) IPF image of α-Ti, (b) IPF image of TiC.

Fig. 5. (a) TEM image with insert SAD patterns. (b) HAADF image of selective box of b in (a). (c) EDS map of Al and C. (d) Bright filed image of (b). (e) HRTEM image of the interface. (f) IFFT of the section f in (e).

Fig. 6. TEM of networked GNSs/Ti64 at boundary: (a) Bright image. (b) HAADF image of (a). (c) V element map. (d) Bright image of white box in (a). (e) SAD pattern of the selective area in (d). (f) Dark field image of $\left( \bar{1}100 \right)$.

Fig. 7. Microstructures of the GNSs/Ti64 interface: (a) Bright image. (b) HAADF image. (c, d) Element maps of Ti and C respectively. (e) A magnified bright image at interface. (f) HRTEM image of box f in (e). (g) HRTEM image of box g on (f). (h) STEM image with insert STEM-BF image.

Fig. 8. Nominal tensile stress-strain curves of Ti64 alloy and GNSs/Ti64.

Table 2 Mechanical properties of as-built sample.

Materials	YS (MPa)	UTS (MPa)	El. (%)	Hardness (HV)
Ti64	686±6	806±35	4.1±0.7	287±17
GNSs/Ti64	769±20	877±9	4.0±0.6	322±18
Networked GNSs/Ti64	947±13	1013±15	3.6±1.0	329±10

Fig. 9. SEM and BSE images of cross fracture morphology of networked GNSs/Ti64 composites: (a) BSE contrast image of the fracture. (b) GNSs vertical to the tensile direction magnified in blue box in (a). (c) SEM image of dimples. (d) SEM morphology image of the fracture. (e) BSE image of GNSs debonding from Ti-matrix in white box of (d). (f) GNSs parallel to tensile direction.

Fig. 10. SEM image of the longitudinal fracture section of networked GNSs/Ti64: (a, b) SEM images of the fracture at one side and (c, d) SEM images of another side of fracture.

Fig. 11. Schematic diagram of networked GNSs/Ti64 (a) and cracks initiating from the network (b).

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