Microstructure and mechanical properties of in situ TiC/Ti composites with a laminated structure synthesized by spark plasma sintering

Highlights: • Laminated TiC/Ti composites were synthesized by spark plasma sintering. • The composites exhibited better strength-ductility combination. • The strengthening mechanisms are discussed and quantitatively evaluated. A series of novel in situ TiC/Ti composites with laminated microstructure have been fabricated via electrophoretic deposition followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS), in which the electrophoretic deposition has been used to deposit graphene oxides (GOs) on commercially pure Ti foils and the SPS has been used to induce in situ reaction between Ti and GOs to form TiC and simultaneously achieve densification. With increasing deposition duration, the volume fraction of TiC reinforcement increases and the grain size of Ti matrix decreases in the as-sintered composites, resulting in continuous strength increment. Attributed to the introduction of TiC reinforcement and laminated structure, a strength increment of 93.9% can be reached with a considerable elongation of 6.1%. Moreover, different strengthening mechanisms are discussed and quantitatively evaluated based on microscopy analysis.