Dry sliding wear behavior of titanium matrix composites hybrid-reinforced by in situ TiBw and TiCp

Abstract

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) hybrid-reinforced by in situ titanium–boron whisker (TiBw) and titanium–carbide particle (TiCp) were fabricated by reactive hot pressing method. The dry sliding wearing behavior of the TMCs was investigated by pin-on-disc tests under the normal loads ranging from 40 to 100 N, and the effects of reinforcements were discussed. The TMCs showed much lower friction coefficient and improved wear resistances than the Ti matrix. No reinforcements were pulled out during sliding due to the strong interface bonding strength between the Ti matrix and the reinforcements. The TMCs exhibited a mixed-wear mode of adhesive and abrasive. The results showed that the TiBw was more effective to improve the wear resistance of TMCs than the TiCp due to its higher aspect ratio and load-bearing capacity during sliding wear.