Effect of Graphite Powder Addition on Microstructure and Room Temperature Mechanical Properties of Ti-45Al-8Nb Alloys

The enhancement of the mechanical properties of TiAl alloys through the introduction of a second-phase reinforcement is highly essential. In this paper, using graphite powder as a carbon source, the Ti2AlC phase is introduced to improve the compression and friction properties of the TiAl alloy. Concurrently, the effects of graphite powder additions on the microstructure and room-temperature mechanical properties of Ti-45Al-8Nb-xC (mass%) alloys are investigated. The results show that as the volume fraction of Ti2AlC and the interdendritic γ phase increases, the length–diameter ratio of the Ti2AlC phase decreases with increases in the graphite powder addition. The addition of graphite powder results in a refining effect on the grain size and lamellar spacing of the Ti-45Al-8Nb-xC (mass%) alloys. As the graphite powder content increases from 0 to 0.9 mass%, the microhardness increases from 557 HV to 647 HV. The room-temperature compressive strength and strain of the Ti-45Al-8Nb-xC (mass%) alloys first increase and then decrease with the addition of graphite powder. Specifically, when the content of graphite powder is 0.6 mass%, the alloy exhibits a maximum compressive strength and strain of 1652 MPa and 22.2%, respectively. Compared with the alloy without the graphite powder addition, the compressive strength and strain are improved by 37.7% and 62.1%, respectively. The wear resistance of the alloys is improved through the addition of graphite powder and the wear rate decreases from 5.062 to 2.125 × 10−4 mm3·N−1·m−1 as the content of graphite powder increases from 0 to 0.9 mass%.