Effects of composition ratio of TiCu precursor on dealloying behavior in molten Mg and microstructural characteristics of Mg-Ti composites

• Effects of TiCu precursor composition on liquid metal dealloying (LMD) behavior were studied. • Ti 50 Cu 50 and Ti 30 Cu 70 precursors showed distinct dealloying kinetics and phase transitions. • Ti 30 Cu 70 precursor enables faster dealloying (30 min vs. 90 min) due to its higher Cu content. • Mg-Ti composite fabricated from Ti 30 Cu 70 precursor has finer ligament widths and grain sizes. • Composites derived from two precursors have similar hardness despite different microstructures. Metal composites produced through the liquid metal dealloying (LMD) process feature an advanced matrix-matrix composite structure, where two metallic materials form a continuous, three-dimensional interconnected network. This study investigates the effects of TiCu precursor compositions on dealloying behavior and microstructural evolution in liquid Mg, using Ti 50 Cu 50 and Ti 30 Cu 70 precursors. The initial microstructure of the precursor significantly influences dealloying kinetics and phase transitions. The single-phase Ti 50 Cu 50 precursor exhibits a faster initial dealloying rate due to its homogeneous structure, yet complete dealloying requires 90 min. In contrast, the dual-phase Ti 30 Cu 70 precursor achieves complete dealloying in 30 min, demonstrating the impact of a higher Cu concentration on accelerating the process kinetics. Additionally, the study explores the coarsening behavior and hardness variations during the LMD process, along with the microstructural characteristics of Mg-Ti composites fabricated from these two precursors. The findings highlight the critical role of precursor composition in tailoring the microstructure and properties of Mg-Ti composites produced through the LMD process, demonstrating its potential for advanced composite material manufacturing.