International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The phase and structure formation of aluminum-matrix composite materials reinforced with titanium carbide during their synthesis and consolidation using the forging were investigated. The influence of copper additives on the structure formation, density, porosity, and hardness of aluminum-matrix composites was determined. The research results revealed the presence of Al+Cu+TiC phases in copperalloyed samples. Studies of density and porosity showed that the samples without copper additives were maximally densified after hot stamping and had minimal porosity, unlike the copper-alloyed composites.

The work shows that there is no significant change in the phase composition of composites with a change in the synthesis temperature, so we can use pre-synthesized heats at a temperature of 950 oC to obtain hot-stamped aluminum-based composites. The best characteristics of the synthesized titanium carbide were obtained for the composition 45Al-11C-44Ti (%, wt.). The lattice period of titanium carbide for this sample is 0.4324, and the particle size of titanium carbide formed after sintering is 0.8-1.5 μm. The influence of the component composition of the initial charge on the features of the structure and the phase composition of the thermally synthesized heat of the Al-C-Ti system was established.

The impact of industrial frequency (50 Hz) current with the voltage of U = 10 V while using the Field Activated Pressure Assisted Synthesis (FAPAS) method as well as the impact of superposition of direct and alternating (with 10 kHz frequency) currents with the voltage of U = 2 V while using Spark Plasms Sintering (SPS) method on the phase composition, structure and properties of Ti-Al-C system metal-matrix composites, consolidated from the powder mixtures, prepared by high voltage electric discharge, is experimentally studied. It is shown, that using SPS and FAPAS methods allows synthesis of materials, dispersion-strengthened by phases of TiC and Al4C3 carbides and Ti3AlC2 MAX-phase. It is found out, that using FAPAS method allows obtainment of Ti-Al-C system composites with higher values of density, hardness and wear-resistance, than those of materials obtained by SPS due to more homogeneous structure. Such a differences can be explained by the fact that high frequency (10 kHz) current component promotes movement of disperse phase inside the matrix, which leads to the agglomeration of strengthening particles as well as to increase of obtained composite porosity up to ~ 8 %.

Titanium diboride reinforced iron matrix composites were produced via powder metallurgy techniques. Iron powder (<10 microns) and titanium diboride powder (<10 microns) were mixed in a ball mill and the powder mixture was cold compacted in a steel die at 550 MPa pressure. Amount of titanium diboride that was added into iron was in 3-10 wt %. Sintering was performed at 1120 oC for 30 minutes in argon atmosphere. Sintered samples were subjected to three-point bending tests, hardness measurements and microstructural examinations.
It was found that the hardness of the composites increases significantly with the increase in the amount of titanium diboride addition. Hardness of unreinforced iron was 50 Brinell 10 and that of 10 % titanium diboride reinforced composite increased to 100 Brinell 10. On the other hand, there was a decrease in the bending strength and strain of the composites, with increasing titanium diboride addition. Bending strength of unreinforced iron was 850 MPa and that of 10 % titanium diboride reinforced composite decreased to 350 MPa.

The possibility of synthesizing the Ti3AlC2 and Ti2AlC MAX phases by SPS (spark-plasma sintering) consolidation of the charge obtained as a result of mechanoactivation and a charge obtained by HVED (high-voltage electric discharge) of processing titanium and aluminum powders in kerosene has been experimentally studied. The influence of the charge activation method on phase formation and physical properties of consolidated materials is shown.

The possibility of control of efficiency of different factors of high voltage electric discharge (HVED) impact on Ti – Al – С powders system for aimed synthesis of dispersion-hardening components is shown. Nanolaminate-composite Ti₃AlC₂ – TiC with hardness of HV5 = 7 GPa, obtained by consolidation of blend of 85 % Ti + 15 % Al initial composition after HVED with the use of multi-point electrode system has needle structure of Ti₃AlC₂ (a = 0.3068 nm, c = 1.844 nm) with size up to 10 μm, and TiC dispersion-hardening phase (a = c = 4.4331 nm) with particle size no more than 1 μm is situated between grains of Ti₃AlC₂. Dynamic strength of specimens depending on electrode system used during HVED treatment of blend variated in range from 160 to 620 MPa, Young modulus – from 13 to 22 GPa at deformation rate from 600 to 900 s–1. Material has high levels of heat resistance, relative change of mass is no more, than 0.001.