Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Titanium Composites via Powder Metallurgy Process

Un-bundled multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were coated on titanium powder surface by using zwitterionic surfactant solution and mixing process, and their CNT/Ti composite powders were consolidated into full-dense materials by spark plasma sintering and the following hot extrusion process in solid-state. Wrought titanium powder metallurgy (PM) composites containing CNTs revealed extreme increment of yield stress and tensile strength of 85% and 50%, respectively, compared to conventional PM titanium with no reinforcement, while they had enough high ductility. The mechanical improvement was mainly due to dispersion strengthening effect of CNTs and in-situ formed TiC fine particles and a small mount of carbon solid solution into Ti matrix. In addition, the control of grain growth was promoted by TiC dispersoids during SPS, and contributed to their strengthening behavior. Furthermore, high-temperature tensile strength less than 673K of PM pure titanium materials was also obviously improved by the pinning effect of TiC particles dispersed at grain boundaries. In this paper, microstructural and mechanical properties of powder metallurgy titanium composites would be introduced in detail.