Effect of TiC Content on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TiC/Fe Matrix Composites Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

The titanium carbide particles reinforced iron matrix composites (TiC/Fe MCs) with different TiC contents of 25, 33, and 41 wt% were fabricated using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effect of TiC content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the TiC/Fe MCs was studied. The results were obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers hardness testing, and universal testing machine. The porosity increases with an increase in TiC content. At TiC content of 25%, the composite exhibits minimum porosity of 3.85% and demonstrates excellent overall properties, including Vickers hardness value of 595 HV0.5 and bending strength of 662 MPa. This enhancement in performance can be attributed to the improved anchoring effect provided by carbon related phases at relatively low levels of porosity. Furthermore, analysis of fracture mechanisms reveals that when the TiC content is below 33%, transgranular fracture and ductile fracture are dominant; however, intergranular fracture becomes predominant when the TiC content exceeds 41%.