Effect of TiC and TiB2 Reinforcement Phase Addition on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of NiAl-TiC-TiB2 Composite Produced Through Combustion Synthesis Process

Subject Areas : journal of New Materials

Fatemeh Soleimani ¹ (School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran)
Mandana Adeli ² (School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.)
Mansour Soltanieh ³ (Iran University of Science and Technology)
Hassan Saghafian ⁴ (Iran University of Science and Technology)

Received: 2021-06-27 Accepted : 2021-10-16 Published : 2021-08-23

Keywords: Tribological behavior, Combustion Synthesis, Intermetallic-matrix composites, Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis,

Abstract :

Abstract Introduction: In this research, NiAl-TiC-TiB₂ composites with different contents of TiC-TiB₂ were produced via the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process using the exothermic reactions in compressed mixtures of Ni, Al, Ti, and B₄C. Methods: The synthesis of composites was performed using induction assisted heating, and the formation of phases and the morphology of reinforcing particles were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. Findings: Results indicate that the TiC-TiB₂ ceramic phases were successfully synthesized and dispersed throughout a NiAl matrix. By increasing the TiC-TiB₂ content, the porosity in the structure gets a rising trend due to the enhancement of reaction kinetics and intensity of the reaction, and reaches from 24 Vol.% in the sample without reinforcement phases to 39% in the sample with 15% of ceramic reinforcements. Evaluation of mechanical and tribological properties of the fabricated ceramic samples shows that -  although the addition of TiC-TiB₂ increases the volume fraction of voids which cause destructive effects - a desirable distribution of ceramic particles within the NiAl matrix leads to improved properties for the composite. The distribution of TiC-TiB₂ particles throughout the matrix results in a remarkable decrease in sample weight loss in the pin-on-disk wear test. Also, the microhardness mean values increase from 497 HV for the unreinforced NiAl sample to values up to 1015 HV for the composite sample containing 15% of reinforcing particles.  

References:

1.        Liu  C, Recent advances in ordered intermetallics, Materials Chemistry and Physics 1995, 42(2), 77-86.

2.        Bochenek K, Basista M., Advances in processing of NiAl intermetallic alloys and composites for high temperature aerospace applications, Progress in Aerospace Sciences 2015, 79, 136-146.

3.        Morsi K., Reaction synthesis processing of Ni–Al intermetallic materials, Materials Science and Engineering: A 2001,  299, 1-15.

4.        Bharadwaj SR, Chandrasekharaiah MS, Thermodynamic data of intermetallic compounds, Bhabha Research Centre, Bombay 1984.

5.        Feng H, Moore J, In situ combustion synthesis of dense ceramic and ceramic-metal interpenetrating phase composites, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B 1995, 26, 265-273.

6.        Wang Y, Wang Z, Yang Y, Chen W, The effects of ceria on the mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of thermal sprayed NiAl intermetallic coatings, Intermetallics 2008, 16, 682-688.

7.        Fan Q, Chai H, Jin Z, Mechanism of combustion synthesis of TiC–Fe cermet, Journal of Materials Science 1999, 34, 115-122.

8.        Aruna ST, Mukasyan AS, Combustion synthesis and nanomaterials, Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science 2008, 12, 44-50.

9.        Morsi K, Combustion synthesis and the electric field: A review, International Journal of Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis, 2017, 26, 199–209.

10.    Venkatesh T, Dunand D, Reactive infiltration processing and secondary compressive creep of NiAl and NiAl-W composites, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2000, 31, 781-792.

11.   . Guo J, Xing Z, Investigation of NiAl–TiB2 in situ composites, Journal of Materials Research 1997, 12, 1083-1090.

12.    Yeh C, Ke C, Chen YC, In situ formation of TiB₂/TiC and TiB₂/TiN reinforced NiAl by self-propagating combustion synthesis, Vacuum 2018, 151, 185-188.

13.    Ye D, Hu J, Handbook of Practicality Inorganic Thermodynamics, Metallurgical Industry Press, Beijing, 2002.

14.    Karimi A, Baharvandi HR, Abdizadeh H, Investigation on the effects of the amount and source of carbon on synthesis of Ti₂AlC nanostructure by self-propagating high temperature synthesis method, Journal of New Materials, 8(1), 57-68, 2017. (in Persian).

15.    Aminikia B, Firouzi S, Investigating the effect of milling time on the final microstructure of nanocrystalline TiB₂-TiC powder fabricated by MACS method, Journal of New Materials, 5(1), 15-25, 2014. (in Persian).

16.    Cui HZ, Ma L, CaO LL, Teng FL, Cui N, Effect of NiAl content on phases and microstructures of TiC-TiB₂-NiAl composites fabricated by reaction synthesis, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China  2014, 24, 346-353.