Synthesis of submicrometer-sized TiC particles in aluminum melt at low melting temperature

This research discussed how to synthesize submicrometer-sized TiC particulate reinforcement in the molten aluminum melt at low temperature via combustion synthesis by using in situ casting technique. A high temperature preheating treatment of Al-Ti-C pellets was carried out, by which the thermal explosion reaction of the pellets could take place in the pure aluminum melt at 750 degrees C. The synthesizing temperature of TiC particles was reduced by at least 150 degrees C compared with the conventional methods. In situ formed TiC particles were spherical in shape and were smaller than 1 mu m in size due to the low melting temperature. The emergence of liquid aluminum phase led to the generation and accumulation of plenty of heat in the pellet in a short time due to the reactive diffusion of Al(l)-Ti(s). The formation mechanism of the submicrometer-sized TiC particles in the molten aluminum at low temperature was discussed in this research.