Effect of TiB2 addition on the elevated temperature tribological behavior of spark plasma sintered Ti matrix composite

Abstract

The study aims at the investigation of the high temperature tribological behavior for in situ synthesized Ti–TiB composite and reports thorough characterization of worn surfaces to understand the operative wear mechanisms to clarify the controversial role of tribo-oxide formation in Ti alloys. Therefore monolithic CpTi and CpTi+9.6 wt% TiB2 composite specimens were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. Microstructural and phase analyses verified the in situ formation of TiB whiskers in the composite specimens and an enhancement in hardness. The dry sliding wear behavior of composites was better than CpTi, across all testing temperatures, thanks to better hardness and the formation of adherent and thicker tribo-oxide layer.