Laser melting of titanium-diamond composites: Microstructure and mechanical behavior study

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) were prepared in situ using continuous wave ytterbium doped fiber laser in order to improve the mechanical properties of titanium. In this study, 5, 10 and 15 wt% diamond powders were premixed with commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) powder and were laser melted using laser engineered net shaping (LENS™) system. The microstructure, reaction phases and mechanical behavior were investigated to understand the influences of diamond concentration. Average cross sectional hardness of the composite increased from 348 HV to 984 HV with increase in the diamond concentration from 5 to15 wt%. Similarly, the Young's modulus of the composite, measured using nanoindentation, increased from 169 to 629 GPa. Such high mechanical properties of laser melted composites envisage their potential for wear resistant and high temperature applications.