Fabrication of SiC Fiber-Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composite via Powder Hot Isostatic Pressing

In this study, the SiCf/Ti6Al4V composite was fabricated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP), in which the bundle polymer-derived (PD) fibers and powder titanium alloy matrix were employed. The effectiveness of the metal powder to be well infiltrated into the voids of the fiber bundles was explored and discussed. The microstructure of the fabricated composite was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The SEM observations show that the SiC fibers and titanium alloy matrix are well bonded through the interfacial layer that is uniform with a thickness of 1–2 μm. The EDS results show that the element mutual diffusion occurs at the interface, indicating that the bonding mechanism is a diffusion reaction. The matrix exhibits ductile characteristics, while the brittle characteristics appear in the reaction zone. The reinforcement mechanism is that the matrix will produce plastic deformation under the stress, thus transferring the load to the fibers to bear through the interface. It is concluded that the HIP is a suitable process to fabricate high-performance SiCf/Ti composites, which could facilitate the further fabrication of SiCf/Ti composites with a quasi-isotropic property for heat-resistant skin structures.