Effect of volume fraction ratio of Ti to Al 3 Ti on mechanical and tribological performances of the in situ Ti–Al 3 Ti core–shell structured particle reinforced Al matrix composite

In present work, Ti-Al 3 Ti core–shell structured particle reinforced Al matrix composites were fabricated via powder metallurgy technique followed by annealing process. The results indicated that via adjusting annealing parameters, Ti-Al 3 Ti core–shell particles with 8:0, 2:1, 1:1, and 1:15 volume fraction ratio of Ti to Al 3 Ti, respectively, were in situ formed in the prepared composites. With the reduction of volume fraction ratio of Ti to Al 3 Ti, the compressive strength of the composite increases gradually. Besides, as the volume fraction ratio of Ti to Al 3 Ti reaches 1:1, the composite shows the best wear resistance among these studied specimens. Furthermore, the relationship between sliding time and wear mechanisms of the composite was investigated in detail via friction and wear tests. As the sliding time increased constantly, the main wear mechanism of the composite is changed from adhesion wear to a combination of fatigue, adhesion, oxidation, and abrasion wear. Graphical abstract