Abstract

This work presents the feasibility of synthesizing titanium alloy matrix composites (TMCs) with improved mechanical properties intended for energy-saving high-temperature aerospace application. The study investigated the effects of distinct refractory nitride reinforcements, comprising 5 wt. % each of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), titanium nitride (TiN), and aluminium nitride (AlN), on the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V matrix composites produced through spark plasma sintering (SPS), a novel sintering technique that facilitates rapid heating and cooling rates. The microstructural and phase constituents of the sintered TMCs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Afterward, density, nanoindentation and compressive tests were conducted to evaluate the densification, nanohardness, modulus of elasticity and compressive strength of the materials, respectively. The outcomes demonstrate that SPS made it possible to achieve well-refined grains, highly densified samples (95.14 - 99.77%) with strong matrix-reinforcement interfacial bond. Besides, it is found that the sintered TMCs exhibit significantly improved nanohardness (10.062±0.27 - 70.782±0.79GPa), superior modulus of elasticity (153.35±3.14 - 356.76±4.05GPa) and enhanced compressive strength (1.179 – 2.528GPa) compared to the unreinforced alloy.