Investigation of Ni3Al-matrix composites strengthened by TiC

In this paper, the possibilities of preparing TiC-reinforced Ni3Al-matrix composites by SM (self-propagating high temperature synthesis and melting process) were examined. Two kinds of composites, namely, commercial TiC-reinforcement and synthesized TiC-reinforcement Ni3Al-matrix composites, were fabricated. The effects of particle size of the commercial TiC on the mechanical properties of the Ni3Al-matrix composites were studied. The results show that the mechanical properties of the composites decrease with increasing particle size of the commercial TiC. The microstructures of 35 wt. % TiC + 65 wt. % Ni3Al composites produced by SM technology from the four elements Ti, C, Ni, and Al were examined. The results show that in these composites, the particle size of TiC synthesized in situ is fine and that the materials have considerable high-temperature bending strength and fracture toughness.