Influence of Sintering Temperature on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti–Mo–B₄C Composites

Abstract: Ti–10 wt% Mo–1 wt% B₄C composite samples were SPSed under the circumstances of 5 min dwell time, 50 MPa external pressure and sintering temperatures of 1150 °C, 1300 °C and 1450 °C. The role of sintering temperature on the relative density, microstructure and mechanical characteristics of as-sintered specimens were studied. Near fully dense relative density was obtained for the samples sintered at 1450 °C. The best mechanical properties including UTS, elongation, bending strength and micro/macro hardness were achieved for the composites SPSed at the highest temperature. The XRD results and also microscopic photographs disclosed the formation of TiB + TiC in-situ phases. However, there was not any evidence for chemical reaction between Mo and other phases. The role of produced in-situ phases on the grain growth also studied using SEM fractographs. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]