A novel way to fabricate high elastic modulus and high strength of TiC reinforced aluminum matrix composite

ABSTRACTThis study presents an experimental investigation on Al matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced titanium carbide (TiC) nano-particles produced by five accumulative roll bonding cycles and three cryorolling (CR) cycles. The microstructures and mechanical properties of composites were studied. The results exhibited consequentially improved mechanical properties for processed Al/TiC AMCs as the number of rolling cycles increased. The presence of TiC in Al matrix showed the combination of elastic modulus, hardness, yield, and ultimate tensile stress of 84 ± 2GPa, 86 ± 3HV, 240 ± 12MPa, and 308 ± 15MPa, respectively. The dispersion of TiC particles was improved with increasing in the number of rolling cycles, resulting in a decrease in porosity between the matrix and reinforcement. This phenomenon was attributed to the breakup of particle clusters and their subsequent uniform dispersion within the Al matrix under CR. The composite microstructure shows uniform TiC particle distribution and grain refinement in the Al matrix, which all contribute to the enhanced mechanical properties.KEYWORDS: Aluminumalloyscompositeparticlesdeformationformingmanufacturingprocessesstrength AcknowledgmentsThis work was financially supported by the Central South University Innovation Driven Program and Research Funds of High-Performance Key Laboratory Manufacturing Complex (Grant Number: 2019C×006). The authors also thank Dr. Haitao Gao and Shisen Yang at Central South University for their positive suggestions.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Central South University Innovation Driven Program [2019C×006].