Investigation the effects of compaction pressure and sintering temperature on mechanical properties of Al-x%TiC composite

Al-xTiC (x=5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.%) composites were fabricated using powder metallurgy (P/M) technique from Al and TiC powders. The mixture of Al and TiC powders were homogeneously mixed for 4 hours before compacting using hydraulic pressing. The effects of compacted pressure and sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of Al-5 wt.% TiC composite were investigated in the ranges of 100 to 500 MPa, and 450 to 600 degrees C, respectively. The best investigated fabrication parameters of Al-5 wt.% TiC composite were applied for the fabrication of other compositions, i.e. Al-10, 15 and 20 wt.%TiC. After sintering, the phase formation and the microstructure of the Al-5 wt.%TiC composite were investigated using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). As the results, sintered Al-5 wt.% TiC composite showed no oxidation or the formation of second phases, while SEM images indicated a homogenous distribution of TiC particles through the Al matrix. The microhardness and relative density of the composite increased with the increase of applied pressure, reaching 98.15% and 31.32 Hv at 500 MPa, respectively. The microhardness of the Al-TiC composites increased with the increase of TiC content, while the weight loss of the composites decreased with the increase of TiC content. The maximum microhardness of 39.2 HV and minimum weight loss of (8.1 mg/1000 m) were obtained for the Al composite with 20 wt.% TiC reinforcement.