Ti-B-based composite materials: Properties, basic fabrication methods, and fields of application (review)

The basic methods of synthesis and consolidation of Ti-B-based composites are reviewed. Prominence is given to the possibilities of the most important modern methods to manufacture products of various fundamental purposes from these composite materials, namely, powder consolidation in an electromagnetic field, spark plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and magnetic-pulsed pressing. A separate section is devoted to the possibilities and prospects of energy-effective SHS methods, which are intended to burn powders during an exothermic reaction rather than to heat them. The physic-mechanical properties of Ti-B-based composites are described. Their structure is discussed as a function of the technological method of synthesizing a material. The main fields of application of these materials and the products made of them are described, and the prospects of their use in modern industry are considered.