Microstructure and Tribological Performance of Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites

Keywords

composite, powder, reinforcing particles, friction coefficient, specific wear, sliding

Abstract

TMCs with 10–30 wt.% TiC, TiB, Ti5Si3C, and Ti5Si3 reinforcement were produced via powder metallurgy. Tribological tests (block-on-ring, at sliding speeds of 2, 4, and 6 m/s under dry friction) showed increased reinforcement and sliding speed significantly improved wear resistance. The composite with 30 wt.% reinforcement demonstrated the lowest coefficient of friction (μ ≈ 0.2–0.23) at 6 m/s, attributed to the formation of protective oxide layers. Specific wear decreased up to 20-fold compared to composites with lower reinforcement levels.

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