Intermetallic Compounds Formation and Growth Behavior in Bi-Metal Ti-6Al-4 V/Al Composite Reinforced by SiC and Al2O3
摘要
In the present research, bi-metal Ti-6Al-4 V/Al composites with and without SiC and Al2O3 reinforced were fabricated by cold rolling and post-deformation annealing. The effects of processing parameters on the evolution of interfacial microstructure and growth kinetics were investigated using SEM, XRD, EDS, and micro-hardness tests. The results demonstrated that TiAl3 and Ti(Al,Si)3 were created between the Ti-6Al-4 V and Al layers in the unreinforced and reinforced composites, respectively. The presence of Si in the TiAl3 intermetallic inhibited the growth rate of the TiAl3 layer. This result is confirmed by the kinetic expansion decreasing from n = 1.82 to n = 1.41 in the chemical reaction-controlled stage and from n = 0.41 to n = 0.39 in the diffusion-controlled stage for the reinforced and unreinforced samples, respectively. These values indicate a slower growth rate of the intermetallic layer. Moreover, the transition region occurred earlier in the reinforced samples than in the unreinforced samples. This phenomenon is attributed to the hindered atomic diffusion caused by the presence of Si. Micro-hardness results show that the Ti(Al,Si)3 hardness is HV420 and the TiAl3 is HV398, so the reinforced sample has higher hardness at the interface than the unreinforced samples due to the dissolution of the Si element into the intermetallic.