An in-situ technique for preparing Al-TiB2 and Al-Al3Ti composites

Abstract

A novel technique for preparing in-situ Al-TiB2 and Al-Al3Ti composites by electroslag remelting (ESR) process was developed in this paper. The microstructure and phases of the composites were investigated by SEM and XRD. The aim of present work was to verify the feasibility of in-situ synthesis of Al-TiB2 and Al-Al3Ti composites by ESR process which had unique advantages in promoting fluoride salt-metal reaction efficiency. The reactant concentration and reactant contact area was improved greatly in the metal molten pool during ESR process leading to a totally complete reaction. The experiment results demonstrate that TiB2 and Al3Ti particulates disperse uniformly in the aluminum matrix and the mean particle size becomes much smaller compared with the conventional casting method.