High-performance titanium-based composite strengthened with in-situ network-distributed 3D reinforcements

Ti-based composite with in-situ 3D nano-reinforcements consisted of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), titanium boride (TiB) nanowires and titanium diboride (TiB2) nanoparticles was prepared in a facile way-blending spherical Ti powder and BNNSs via low-energy ball milling and then consolidating the composite powder by spark plasma sintering. It has an excellent combination of strength and ductility: the composite with 0.5 vol% BNNSs exhibits high tensile strength of around 715.1 MPa and excellent toughness of 115.2 MJ/m(3), which is 73.4% higher and 16.6% lower than those of pure Ti, respectively. The strength enhancement is mainly attributed to the interlocking structure formed by TiB2 nanoparticles and BNNSs, which increases the dislocation density and doubles the theoretical interfacial shear strength limit. The considerable ductility arises from the crack blocking brought by the 3D network.

Automated summary

The Ti-based composite material with in-situ 3D nano-reinforcements, consisting of BNNSs, TiB nanowires, and TiB2 nanoparticles, demonstrates excellent strength and ductility due to the unique interlocking structure formed by the reinforcements and crack blocking effect of the 3D network.