Effect of microstructural characteristics on room temperature tensile properties of in situ synthesised TiC/TA15 composite

Abstract

In the present paper, a 10 vol.-TiC particulate reinforced TA15 composite with wall thicknesses of 6, 12 and 18 mm was fabricated using in situ casting route. An effort was made to investigate the room temperature tensile properties as a function of the microstructures of the as cast and heat treated composites. The refinement of α phase with decreasing wall thickness leads to the enhancement in the yield strength of the composite, whereas the elongation shows an opposite trend with yield strength in the as cast condition. After β heat treatment, the yield strength as well as tensile strength shows similar value as a result of similar size of α phase. Compared with the as cast and heat treated tensile properties, heat treatment improves the yield and tensile strengths at the expense of elongation as the wall thicknesses are 12 and 18 mm.