Effect of TiC content on Ni/TiC composites by direct laser fabrication

Ni/TiC metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been successfully produced by direct laser fabrication (DLF) with 20, 40 and 60 vol.% TiC, respectively. The effects of TiC content on phase composition, microstructure, micro-hardness and wear resistance of the reaction products were studied. The results showed that the composites consisted of the TiC and Ni phases, indicating that TiC was synthesized by the in situ reaction. Furthermore, TiC particle size increased and the micro-hardness and wear resistance of the composites were enhanced with the increasing of TiC content.