• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.683-689
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• 2010

In this study, FeAl based intermetallic matrix composites reinforced with in-situ synthesized TiC particles were fabricated by an in-situ liquid mixing process. The microstructures, mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of the in-situ liquid mixing processed composite were investigated and compared with the vacuum suction casting processed composite. The results showed that the in-situ formed TiC particles exhibited fine and uniform dispersion in the liquid mixing processed composite, while significant grain boundary clustering and coarsening of TiC particles were obtained by the vacuum suction process. It was also shown in both types of composites that the hardness and bending strength were increased with the increase of the TiC volume fractions. Through the study of fractography in the bending test, it was considered that the TiC particles prohibited brittle intergranular fracture of FeAl intermetallic matrix by crack deflections. Because of the uniformly distributed fine TiC particles, the bending strength of the liquid mixing processed composite was superior to that of the casting processed composite.