In-situ combustion synthesis of titanium carbide (TiC) reinforced aluminum matrix composite

摘要

An in-situ process for making aluminum titanium carbide composite materials include the steps of mixing powdered aluminum, titanium and calcium carbonate, compacting the mixture and heating by a high frequency induction heater up to a temperature at which titanium carbide is formed at about 800° C.-1,000° C. The compact are then introduced into a tube furnace under an inert atmosphere such as argon, nitrogen, helium etc. at 1200° C. to 1350° C. for 4 to 7 hours to complete the reaction and optimize the TiC particles.

主权项

1. A process for the in-situ synthesis of titanium carbide (TiC) reinforced aluminum matrix composites, said process comprising the steps of:
providing masses of aluminum, titanium and calcium carbonate powders; mixing the aluminum and titanium powders and blending the aluminum and titanium powders with the calcium carbonate; providing a high frequency induction heater (HFIH) at a high heating rate to thereby disassociate the calcium carbonate into carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and calcium oxide and the carbon dioxide gas disassociates and carbon particles form; providing a tube furnace with an inert atmosphere; and introducing the aluminum, titanium and carbon particles into the tube furnace at an elevated temperature under an inert gas atmosphere and forming in-situ TiC as a result of an exothermic reaction between titanium and carbon and between titanium aluminide and carbon and wherein the TiC particles have a spherical shape with a particle size in the range of 100 nm and 5 μm.