In situ TiB2/Cu composites fabricated by spray deposition using solid-liquid and liquid-liquid reactions

In situ TiB2/Cu composites were fabricated by both solid-liquid (S-L) and liquid-liquid (L-L) reactive spray deposition in combination with cold rolling and annealing. The microstructure and properties of the fabricated TiB2/Cu composites were investigated. The results show that the reactive mode and rolling treatment are the main factors affecting the microstructure and properties of the TiB2/Cu composite. The in situ reaction in the L-L reaction can be carried out more completely. By controlling the rolling and annealing process, the relative density and the properties of the as-deposited composites are optimized. The comprehensive performance of the deformed TiB2/Cu composite prepared by L-L reactive spray deposition (401 MPa and 83.5% IACS) is better than that by S-L reactive spray deposition (520 MPa and 20.2% IACS).