Metal matrix to ceramic matrix transition via feedstock processing of SPS titanium composites alloyed with high silicone content

Titanium silicides are promising candidates for use as a reinforcement in advanced light-weight composites due to their excellent mechanical properties and oxidation resistance at high temperatures, sufficient wear resistance, and high chemical stability in various corrosion environments. Direct in-situ synthesis of such composites from titanium-silicon (Ti-Si) powder feedstock by spark plasma sintering (SPS) was used in this study with a particular attention on the effect of the powder processing parameters (blending, co-milling, milling + blending) on the microstructure formation and mechanical properties of the sintered composites. As opposed to the previous silicide-reinforced Ti studies, this was done for high silicone content (20 wt%). It was found that, despite the powders initial identical composition, the microstructure and phase content of the compacts varied significantly with the used powder fabrication route. Taking advantage of this, composites ranging from relatively soft metal-matrix (52 vol% metallic Ti; using non-milled Ti and coarse or fine-milled Si) to hard ceramic-matrix (11 vol% metallic Ti, using fine-dispersed joint-milled mixture of Ti and Si) were obtained. Due to in-situ formation of various TiSi2, TiSi, Ti5Si4 and Ti5Si3 silicide reinforcement phases contents with high hardness and stiffness, all the sintered composites showed superior hardness and wear resistance (an increase as much as 44×) in comparison to pure Ti. Importantly, hardness and elastic modulus of intermediate compounds TiSi2, TiSi, Ti5Si4 and Ti5Si3 were measured using instrumented indentation technique for the first time and are presented in the paper.