Process for the production of a titanium alloy based composite material reinforced with titanium carbide, and reinforced composite material obtained thereby

Abstract

Object of the present invention is a process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material with satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature, characterised in that Titanium alloy powders and Titanium carbide powders are blended, hot-pressed and hot-rolled or extruded. The invention also encompasses a composite material obtainable with said process.

1 . A process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature, in which a Titanium alloy powder and a Titanium carbide powder are blended, hot-compacted and hot-rolled, or extruded, characterised in that the hot compacting is obtained by isostatic hot pressing at a temperature ranging from 850 to 950° C., at a pressure ranging from 80 to 130 MPa, for a time less than four hours, and the resulting material is heated to a temperature of about 1000° C. and pressed to provide a thickness reduction of from 5 to 50%.  
     
     
         2 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the Titanium carbide expressed in percent by weight ranges from 0.5 to 30%.  
     
     
         3 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 1 , wherein the particle size of the Titanium alloy is less than 250 μm.  
     
     
         4 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 3 , wherein the particle size of Titanium carbide is less than 5 μm.  
     
     
         5 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 1 , wherein the blending of the said two powders is carried out in the presence of 50% by volume acetone or of an anti-clumping agent, optionally added separately to each of the powders to be blended.  
     
     
         6 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 1 , wherein the blending of the two powders is carried out under inert gas, preferably Argon, atmosphere.  
     
     
         7 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 6 , wherein the blending is obtained by revolving a vessel, containing the two powders, at a high rate for a time ranging from 5 minutes to 8 hours.  
     
     
         8 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 7 , wherein the blended powders are dried under vacuum.  
     
     
         9 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the resulting compound is hot-rolled in the range from 800 to 1000° C. with less than 5% reduction passages, until the desired total thickness is achieved.  
     
     
         10 . The process for the production of a Titanium alloy based composite material having satisfactory mechanical features at high temperature according to  claim 9 , wherein the total thickness reduction is of about 80%.  
     
     
         11 . A Titanium alloy based composite material reinforced with Titanium carbide, as obtained by the process of  claim 1.