Articles
All articles | Recent articles
Mechanical Properties, Strengthening and Toughening Mechanisms of Reactive-Hot-Pressed TiB2-SiC-Ni Ceramic Composites
G. Zhao1, C. Huang2, N. He1, H. Liu2
1 College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
2 Key Laboratory of High-efficien-cy and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, P. R. China
received November 14, 2016, received in revised form December 15, 2016, accepted February 21, 2017
Vol. 8, No. 2, Pages 233-242 DOI: 10.4416/JCST2016-00110
Abstract
A TiB2-SiC-5 wt %Ni ceramic composite with high flexural strength and fracture toughness was fabricated in the reactive hot pressing (RHP) process. Different sintering times and sintering temperatures were employed. The strengthening and toughening mechanisms were investigated in detail. The composition and microstructure were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The sintering time and sintering temperature had a significant influence on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite. The mechanical properties decreased as the sintering time was increased from 30 to 45 min, and subsequently increased with the further increase of the sintering time. The mechanical properties of the composite increased gradually as the sintering temperature increased. For the investigated range of parameters, the composite prepared at 1700 °C for 30 min had the optimum comprehensive mechanical properties with flexural strength of 1121 ± 31 MPa, fracture toughness of 7.9 ± 0.58 MPa·m1/2 and hardness of 21.3 ± 0.62 GPa. The improved flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composite were attributed to the strengthening and toughening effects of Ni and the elongated TiB2 grains, the intragranular nano-particle structure, and the dislocations and stacking fault. The clean interface is also conducive to the improved flexural strength.
Download Full Article (PDF)
Keywords
TiB2-SiC-Ni composite, mechanical properties, microstructure, reactive hot pressing, strengthening and toughening mechanism.
References
1 Basu, B., Raju, G.B., Suri, A.K.: Processing and properties of monolithic TiB2 based materials, Int. Mater. Rev., 51, 352 – 374, (2006).
2 Yadawa, P.K.: Ultrasonic characterization of ceramic material titanium diboride, Ceram-Silikaty, 55, 127 – 133, (2011).
3 Mukhopadhyay, A., Venkateswaran, T., Basu, B.: Spark plasma sintering may lead to phase instability and inferior mechanical properties: A case study with TiB2, Scripta Mater., 69, 159 – 164, (2013).
4 Karthiselva, N.S., Murty, B.S., Bakshi, S.R.: Low temperature synthesis of dense TiB2 compacts by reaction spark plasma sintering, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 48, 201 – 210, (2015).
5 Demirskyi, D., Cheng, J., Agrawal, D., Ragulya, A.: Densification and grain growth during microwave sintering of titanium diboride, Scripta Mater., 69, 610 – 613, (2013).
6 Ferber, M.K., Becher, P.F., Finch, C.B.: Effect of microstructure on the properties of TiB2 ceramics, Commun. Am. Ceram. Soc., C, 2 – 4, (1983).
7 Baca, L., Lences, Z., Jogl, C., Neubauer, E., Vitkovic, M., Merstallinger, A., Sajgalik, P.: Microstructure evolution and tribological properties of TiB2/Ni-Ta cermets, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 32, 1941 – 1948, (2012).
8 Zhao, G.L., Huang, C.Z., Liu, H.L., Zou, B., Zhu, H.T., Wang, J.: Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiB2-SiC ceramic composites by reactive hot pressing, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 42, 36 – 41, (2014).
9 Torizuka, S., Sato, K., Nishio, H., Kishi, T.: Effect of SiC on interfacial reaction and sintering mechanism of TiB2, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 78, 1606 – 1610, (1995).
10 Zhu, D.G., Liu, S.K., Yin, X.D., Yang, L., Xiao, C.C., Zhou, H.M., Zhang, J.Y.: In-situ HIP synthesis of TiB2/SiC ceramic composites, J. Mater. Process. Tech., 89 – 90, 457 – 461, (1999).
11 Chen, H.B., Wang, Z., Wu, Z.J.: Investigation and characterization of densification, processing and mechanical properties of TiB2-SiC ceramics, Mater. Design, 64, 9 – 14, (2014).
12 Zhao, G.L., Huang, C.Z., Liu, H.L., Zou, B., Zhu, H.T., Wang, J.: Microstructure and mechanical properties of hot pressed TiB2-SiC composite ceramic tool materials at room and elevated temperatures, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 606, 108 – 116, (2014).
13 Fahrenholtz, W.G.: Reactive processing in ceramic-based systems, Int. J. Appl. Ceram. Tec., 3, 1 – 12, (2006).
14 Zhang, G.J., Deng, Z.Y., Kondo, N., Yang, J.F., Ohji, T.: Reactive hot pressing of ZrB2-SiC composites, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 83, 2330 – 2332, (2000).
15 Zhang, Z.X., Xu, C.J., Du, X.W., Li, Z.L., Wang, J.L., Xing, W.H., Sheng, Y., Wang, W.M., Fu, Z.Y.: Synthesis mechanism and mechanical properties of TiB2-SiC composites fabricated with the B4C-TiC-Si system by reactive hot pressing, J. Alloys Compd., 619, 26 – 30, (2015).
16 Liu, H.T., Wu, W.W., Zou, J., Ni, D.W., Kan, Y.M., Zhang, G.J.: In situ synthesis of ZrB2-MoSi2 platelet composites: reactive hot pressing process, microstructure and mechanical properties, Ceram. Int., 38, 4751 – 4760, (2012).
17 Fahrenholtz, W.G., Loehman, R.E., Ewsuk, K.G.: Reactive hot pressing of alumina-molybdenum disilicide composites, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 85, 258 – 260, (2002).
18 Zhao, G.L., Huang, C.Z., Liu, H.L., Zou, B., Zhu, H.T., Wang, J.: A study on in-situ synthesis of TiB2-SiC ceramic composites by reactive hot pressing, Ceram. Int., 40, 2305 – 2313, (2014).
19 Fukuhara, M., Fukazawa, K., Fukawa, A.: Physical properties and cutting performance of silicon nitride ceramic, Wear, 102, 195 – 210, (1985).
20 Song, J.P., Huang, C.Z., Zou, B., Liu, H.L., Liu, L., Wang, J.: Effects of sintering additives on microstructure and mechanical properties of TiB2-WC ceramic-metal composite tool materials, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 30, 91 – 95, (2012).
21 Evans, A.G.: High toughness ceramics, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 105 – 106, 65 – 75, (1988).
22 Choi, S.M., Awaji, H.: Nanocomposites-a new material design concept, Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater., 6, 2 – 10, (2005).
Copyright
Göller Verlag GmbH