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Synthesis of submicrometer-sized TiC particles in aluminum melt at low melting temperature

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Abstract

This research discussed how to synthesize submicrometer-sized TiC particulate reinforcement in the molten aluminum melt at low temperature via combustion synthesis by using in situ casting technique. A high temperature preheating treatment of Al–Ti–C pellets was carried out, by which the thermal explosion reaction of the pellets could take place in the pure aluminum melt at 750 °C. The synthesizing temperature of TiC particles was reduced by at least 150 °C compared with the conventional methods. In situ formed TiC particles were spherical in shape and were smaller than 1 µm in size due to the low melting temperature. The emergence of liquid aluminum phase led to the generation and accumulation of plenty of heat in the pellet in a short time due to the reactive diffusion of Al(l)–Ti(s). The formation mechanism of the submicrometer-sized TiC particles in the molten aluminum at low temperature was discussed in this research.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by the US Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0001100, the North American Die Casting Association, and the China Scholarship Council of the Chinese Ministry of Education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906, USA

    Zhiwei Liu, Xiaoming Wang & Qingyou Han

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Jianguo Li

Authors
  1. Zhiwei Liu
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  2. Xiaoming Wang
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  3. Qingyou Han
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  4. Jianguo Li
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Correspondence to Zhiwei Liu or Qingyou Han.

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Liu, Z., Wang, X., Han, Q. et al. Synthesis of submicrometer-sized TiC particles in aluminum melt at low melting temperature. Journal of Materials Research 29, 896–901 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.56

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