Effects of rapid heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti2AlC/TiAl composite

In this paper Ti(2)AIC/TiA1 composites were in-situ fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and then the effects of rapid heat-treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti(2)AIC/TiA1 composites were investigated. After rapid heat-treatment the microstructure of TiA1 matrix was significantly transformed from the near gamma microstructure to duplex microstructure. Ti(2)AIC particles effectively refined the gamma phase grains and the alpha(2)/gamma lamellar colony microstructure. For the Ti(2)AIC/TiAI composite after rapid heat-treatment at 1200 degrees C, the bending strength and fracture toughness reached 956.8MPa and 22.8MPa center dot m(1/2), respectively.