Reconstruction and refinement of TiB whiskers in titanium matrix composite after electron beam remelting

The size and distribution of TiB whiskers (TiBw) in TiB reinforced titanium matrix composite (TiB-TMCs)were tailored by the electron beam remelting. A significant refinement of TiBw has been achieved in the remelted region, as well as the grain. Interestingly, the refined TiBw were reconstructed via electron beam remelting, forming the quasi-continuous network (QCN) structure and dispersive structure along the depth direction of the remelted region. A gradient hardness is obtain in the remelted TMCs, and the wear resistance is greatly improved after remelting. This study provides a promising method to tailor the architecture of TiBw in the TiB-TMCs for enhancing the surface performance. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.