Effect of titanium element on the interfacial reactions and properties of B4C/Al composites fabricated by selective laser melting

In this study, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) was employed to fabricate B4C/Al composites, the effect of titanium addition on the interfacial reactions, tensile properties, and wear resistance was investigated. The results indicated that during the SLM fabrication process, B4C particles underwent strong interfacial reactions with the Al matrix, resulting in the formation of significant amounts of interfacial products, specifically Al3BC and Al3B48C2 brittle phases. The addition of pure Ti particles facilitated the formation of TiC and TiB2 at the interfaces, effectively mitigating further interfacial reactions, and reducing the formation of the brittle phases, which significantly improved the interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of the material. The results of the tensile tests revealed that with the addition of Ti, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the B4C/Al composites increased by 41 % and 49.3 %, respectively, transitioning the fracture mode from brittle to ductile. Furthermore, the average friction coefficient and actual wear volume decreased by 13.9 % and 37.5 %, respectively.