Composite structure design is an important way to improve reinforcement strengthening efficiency. The dispersion of the external reinforcement is often not uniform enough, however, and it is agglomerated in the matrix, which cannot uniformly and effectively bear the load. The interconnected reinforcement network prepared by the in-situ self-growth method is expected to obtain higher material properties. In this paper, the TiN shell was formed on the surface of Ti powder by the in-situ nitriding method, and then the network TiN/Ti composites were prepared by sintering. In the control group, TiN was dispersed by mechanical ball milling, and it was found that TiN powder was coated on the surface of Ti particles, and the sintered TiN/Ti composites formed a discontinuous structure with a great deal of TiN agglomeration. A uniform TiN nitride layer of 5~7 μm was formed on the surface of Ti powder by the in-situ nitriding method, and a connected TiN network was formed in the sintered Ti-N/Ti composites. The composites prepared by nitriding have higher compressive strength, hardness, and plasticity. The hardness of the Ti-N/Ti composite is 685.7 HV and the compressive strength is 1468.5 MPa. On this basis, the influence of the connected TiN structure on the material properties was analyzed, which provided theoretical guidance for the structural design of the network structure-reinforced titanium matrix composites.
Keywords: Ti matrix composite; TiN; mechanical properties; network composite.