Study on the Effect of Y on the Morphology and Dispersion of TiB2 Particles in TiB2/Al Composites

Particle agglomeration and diversified particle morphologies are key technical issues that restrict the development of particle‐reinforced composites. In this article, in situ TiB 2 /Al composites are prepared by the mixed salt reaction method, and the influence of rare‐earth Y on the dispersion and morphological evolution of TiB 2 particles is studied. In the results, it is shown that the in situ generated TiB 2 particles are within the range of ≈474 ± 210 nm in size. Upon the incorporation of 1.0Y, the TiB 2 particles are refined to 352 ± 83 nm. Through the microstructure analysis, it is shown that Y is covered on the TiB 2 particles. Moreover, there is excellent interfacial wettability between the TiB 2 particles and the aluminum matrix. The typical morphology of the TiB 2 particles is hexagonal, and adding Y makes it tend to change to a spherical shape. Through first‐principles calculations, it is shown that Y preferentially adsorbs on the {110} and {101} planes, hindering their growth, thereby changing the growth rate difference of the main crystal planes, ultimately resulting in the change of the TiB 2 morphology. In this study, the regulatory mechanism of Y on TiB 2 particles is elucidated, providing reference for the preparation and regulation of high‐performance composites.