A novel powder-fiber-foil approach to fabricating woven SiC fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Yi Xiao; Tianwen Zhao; Rui Xiao; Jinshan Li; Chuan Wang; Huiqiao Du; Yong Li

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286

A novel powder-fiber-foil approach to fabricating woven SiC fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Yi Xiao
, Tianwen Zhao
, Rui Xiao
, Jinshan Li
, Chuan Wang
, Huiqiao Du
, Yong Li^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation

Beihang University
National Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures
Beijing Hangxing Machinery Manufacture
Ltd.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The woven SiC_f/Ti composite is fabricated by a novel powder-fiber-foil method using the polymer-derived (PD) SiC fiber, titanium alloy matrix powder, and foil as the raw materials in this work. The microstructure evolution, microhardness distribution, and tensile properties of the composite have been systematically investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of fabrication, fracture, and reinforcement. The results show that the titanium alloy matrix foil and powder mainly evolve into an equiaxed structure. Both the titanium alloy matrix powder/foil interface and the SiC_f/Ti interface are well bonded. The microstructure evolution is owing to the fabrication mechanisms of the powder-foil coupling, powder densification, and fiber/matrix bonding. The fabricated woven SiC_f/Ti composite exhibits low density (3.25 g/cm³) and low thermal conductivity (1.325 W/(m·K)). The microhardness of the composite (418 H V, 380 H V, and 376 H V) is higher than that of the matrix foil in all directions. The microhardness presents a gradient along the thickness in both the length direction and width direction. Compared with the titanium alloy matrix, the tensile strength (1021 MPa) and specific strength of the composite are significantly improved, which is attributed to the reinforcement mechanisms of the fiber pullout and bridging. The fracture mechanisms of the composite are characterized by combined fracture behaviors, including ductile fracture of the titanium alloy matrix, brittle fracture of the near-interface zone, and pullout of the woven SiC fiber. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite exhibit no obvious difference in the length direction and width direction. It is concluded that the woven SiC_f/Ti composites without significant anisotropy can be successfully fabricated by the novel powder-fiber-foil method, thus establishing a foundation for their applications in hypersonic vehicle skins.

Original language	English
Article number	149286
Journal	Materials Science and Engineering: A
Volume	948
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286
State	Published - Dec 2025

Keywords

Interface
Mechanical properties
Microstructure
Titanium matrix composite
Vacuum hot pressing
Woven SiC fiber

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10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286

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@article{664b2d2a41bc429187f244166d471fba,

title = "A novel powder-fiber-foil approach to fabricating woven SiC fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite: Microstructure and mechanical properties",

abstract = "The woven SiCf/Ti composite is fabricated by a novel powder-fiber-foil method using the polymer-derived (PD) SiC fiber, titanium alloy matrix powder, and foil as the raw materials in this work. The microstructure evolution, microhardness distribution, and tensile properties of the composite have been systematically investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of fabrication, fracture, and reinforcement. The results show that the titanium alloy matrix foil and powder mainly evolve into an equiaxed structure. Both the titanium alloy matrix powder/foil interface and the SiCf/Ti interface are well bonded. The microstructure evolution is owing to the fabrication mechanisms of the powder-foil coupling, powder densification, and fiber/matrix bonding. The fabricated woven SiCf/Ti composite exhibits low density (3.25 g/cm3) and low thermal conductivity (1.325 W/(m·K)). The microhardness of the composite (418 H V, 380 H V, and 376 H V) is higher than that of the matrix foil in all directions. The microhardness presents a gradient along the thickness in both the length direction and width direction. Compared with the titanium alloy matrix, the tensile strength (1021 MPa) and specific strength of the composite are significantly improved, which is attributed to the reinforcement mechanisms of the fiber pullout and bridging. The fracture mechanisms of the composite are characterized by combined fracture behaviors, including ductile fracture of the titanium alloy matrix, brittle fracture of the near-interface zone, and pullout of the woven SiC fiber. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite exhibit no obvious difference in the length direction and width direction. It is concluded that the woven SiCf/Ti composites without significant anisotropy can be successfully fabricated by the novel powder-fiber-foil method, thus establishing a foundation for their applications in hypersonic vehicle skins.",

keywords = "Interface, Mechanical properties, Microstructure, Titanium matrix composite, Vacuum hot pressing, Woven SiC fiber",

author = "Yi Xiao and Tianwen Zhao and Rui Xiao and Jinshan Li and Chuan Wang and Huiqiao Du and Yong Li",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286",

language = "英语",

volume = "948",

journal = "Materials Science and Engineering: A",

issn = "0921-5093",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A novel powder-fiber-foil approach to fabricating woven SiC fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite

T2 - Microstructure and mechanical properties

AU - Xiao, Yi

AU - Zhao, Tianwen

AU - Xiao, Rui

AU - Li, Jinshan

AU - Wang, Chuan

AU - Du, Huiqiao

AU - Li, Yong

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - The woven SiCf/Ti composite is fabricated by a novel powder-fiber-foil method using the polymer-derived (PD) SiC fiber, titanium alloy matrix powder, and foil as the raw materials in this work. The microstructure evolution, microhardness distribution, and tensile properties of the composite have been systematically investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of fabrication, fracture, and reinforcement. The results show that the titanium alloy matrix foil and powder mainly evolve into an equiaxed structure. Both the titanium alloy matrix powder/foil interface and the SiCf/Ti interface are well bonded. The microstructure evolution is owing to the fabrication mechanisms of the powder-foil coupling, powder densification, and fiber/matrix bonding. The fabricated woven SiCf/Ti composite exhibits low density (3.25 g/cm3) and low thermal conductivity (1.325 W/(m·K)). The microhardness of the composite (418 H V, 380 H V, and 376 H V) is higher than that of the matrix foil in all directions. The microhardness presents a gradient along the thickness in both the length direction and width direction. Compared with the titanium alloy matrix, the tensile strength (1021 MPa) and specific strength of the composite are significantly improved, which is attributed to the reinforcement mechanisms of the fiber pullout and bridging. The fracture mechanisms of the composite are characterized by combined fracture behaviors, including ductile fracture of the titanium alloy matrix, brittle fracture of the near-interface zone, and pullout of the woven SiC fiber. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite exhibit no obvious difference in the length direction and width direction. It is concluded that the woven SiCf/Ti composites without significant anisotropy can be successfully fabricated by the novel powder-fiber-foil method, thus establishing a foundation for their applications in hypersonic vehicle skins.

AB - The woven SiCf/Ti composite is fabricated by a novel powder-fiber-foil method using the polymer-derived (PD) SiC fiber, titanium alloy matrix powder, and foil as the raw materials in this work. The microstructure evolution, microhardness distribution, and tensile properties of the composite have been systematically investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of fabrication, fracture, and reinforcement. The results show that the titanium alloy matrix foil and powder mainly evolve into an equiaxed structure. Both the titanium alloy matrix powder/foil interface and the SiCf/Ti interface are well bonded. The microstructure evolution is owing to the fabrication mechanisms of the powder-foil coupling, powder densification, and fiber/matrix bonding. The fabricated woven SiCf/Ti composite exhibits low density (3.25 g/cm3) and low thermal conductivity (1.325 W/(m·K)). The microhardness of the composite (418 H V, 380 H V, and 376 H V) is higher than that of the matrix foil in all directions. The microhardness presents a gradient along the thickness in both the length direction and width direction. Compared with the titanium alloy matrix, the tensile strength (1021 MPa) and specific strength of the composite are significantly improved, which is attributed to the reinforcement mechanisms of the fiber pullout and bridging. The fracture mechanisms of the composite are characterized by combined fracture behaviors, including ductile fracture of the titanium alloy matrix, brittle fracture of the near-interface zone, and pullout of the woven SiC fiber. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite exhibit no obvious difference in the length direction and width direction. It is concluded that the woven SiCf/Ti composites without significant anisotropy can be successfully fabricated by the novel powder-fiber-foil method, thus establishing a foundation for their applications in hypersonic vehicle skins.

KW - Interface

KW - Mechanical properties

KW - Microstructure

KW - Titanium matrix composite

KW - Vacuum hot pressing

KW - Woven SiC fiber

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018913943

U2 - 10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286

DO - 10.1016/j.msea.2025.149286

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:105018913943

SN - 0921-5093

VL - 948

JO - Materials Science and Engineering: A

JF - Materials Science and Engineering: A

M1 - 149286

ER -

A novel powder-fiber-foil approach to fabricating woven SiC fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract

Keywords

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