Microstructures and Properties of Ds in-Situ Composites of Nb-Ti-Si Alloys
AbstractIn-situ composites based on binary Nb-Si alloys and consisting of a Nb solid solution with Nb3Si or Nb5Si3 have shown a promising combination of low temperature and high temperature mechanical properties. The environmental resistance and room temperature fracture toughness of these composites can be further enhanced by additions such as Ti, Hf, Cr, and Al. In the present study, ternary Nb-Ti-Si alloys were prepared by directional solidification to generate aligned two and three phase composites containing a Nb solid solution with Nb3Si and/or Nb5Si3. The present paper will describe microstructures, phase equilibria and fracture toughness of these composites. The improvement in the room temperature fracture toughness over binary Nb-Nb5Si3 composites is discussed.