Abstract
A pulsed current hot pressing (PCHP) technique was used to prepare Ti/Ti-aluminides laminate composites. Through this technique, a combustion synthesis reaction was initiated at the interface between Ti and Al foils, resulting in the formation of multi-layered Ti-aluminides between Ti foils and the Ti-aluminides were densified and bonded to the Ti layers. Microstructure of the composite produced was an alternatively-laminated structure composed of Ti and Ti-aluminides. Tensile tests carried out for the composites at room temperature revealed that the mechanical properties of the composites changed by altering the thickness of the Al foils used. The tensile strength and the elongation of the composite produced from 0.04 mm-thick Ti and 0.012 mm-thick Al foils attained to about 700 MPa and 3.5%, respectively. These mechanical properties of the composite produced by PCHP were higher than those by conventional vacuum hot pressing techniques. Microstructural observations of fractured specimens showed that the Ti layers effectively trapped numerous cracks occurred in the Ti-aluminides.
