Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Al-TiB2/TiC In Situ Aluminum-Based Composites during Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) Process

In this study, a kind of Al-TiB2/TiC in situ composite was successfully prepared using the melt reaction method and the accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) technique. The microstructure evolution of the composites with different deformation treatments was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The mechanical properties of the Al-TiB2/TiC in situ composite were also studied with tensile and microhardness tests. It was found that the distribution of reinforcement particles becomes more homogenous with an increasing ARB cycle. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties showed great improvement during the ARB process. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and microhardness of the composites were increased to 173.1 MPa and 63.3 Hv after two ARB cycles, respectively. Furthermore, the strengthening mechanism of the composite was analyzed based on its fracture morphologies