Synthesis and microstructural characterization of Ti-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites

Ti-Al3Ti laminated composites have been fabricated through reactive sintering in vacuum using Ti and Al foils with different initial thicknesses. The aluminum layer is consumed by forming a titanium aluminide intermetallic compound. Thus, the final microstructure consists of alternating layers of intermetallic compound and unreacted Ti metal. Microstructural characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) has shown that only the intermetallic Al3Ti is formed, which can be rationalized in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics of phase selection, as well as by the diffusion processes occurring in the presence of liquid Al.