Abstract:TiB/Ti-1.5Fe-2.25Mo composites were synthesized in situ using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) method at temperatures of 850-1150 °C. The effect of the sintering temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated. The results indicate that the aspect ratio of the in situ synthesized TiB whiskers in Ti alloy matrix decreases rapidly with an increase in sintering temperature. However, both the relative density of the sintered specimens and the volume content of TiB whiskers in composites increase with increasing sintering temperature. Thus, the bending strength of the composites synthesized using SPS process increases slowly with increasing the sintering temperature from 850 to 1150 °C. TiB/Ti-1.5Fe-2.25Mo composite synthesized at 1150 °C using SPS method exhibits the highest bending strength of 1596 MPa due to the formation of fine TiB whiskers in Ti alloy matrix and the dense microstructure of the composite.

Key words: titanium boride (TiB); titanium matrix composites (TMCs); spark plasma sintering (SPS); microstructure; mechanical properties