Compressive Properties of Additively Manufactured Titanium-Carbide

The quasistatic compressive behaviour of additively manufactured titanium-carbide (Ti-6Al4-V-C or Ti-C) was investigated through quasistatic compression and microhardness tests. The carbon content within the titanium-carbide samples was varied in order to identify the influence of graphite on the properties of the material. The information gathered through the mechanical tests and optical microscopy was used in order to identify the effectiveness of titanium-carbide as a functionally graded material applied in ballistic protection. Initial QS compression testing on 5.3 and 6 wt%C content yielded similar results in mechanical properties. This contradicts the hypothesis which predicts an increase in strength with an increase in carbon content. Further details on the results will be presented in this study.