Abstract:
Additive manufacturing is a rapid prototyping technology offering opportunities to develop high performance composites via composition regulation and architecture design. This brief review presents the latest research progress and application of additive manufactured titanium matrix composites (TMCs). Firstly, the effects of energy density, printing path and cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties are systematically analyzed. Then, the composition regulation strategies pertaining to ceramic reinforcements, intermetallic compounds and rare earth elements are introduced. In general, the ceramic reinforcing phases and the intermetallic compounds play a positive role in tailoring the microstructures and thus mechanical properties of composites. The rare earth elements effectively inhibit oxygen polarization and refine the grains. Furthermore, the research on TMCs with network and laminated structures are presented. The network architecture is mostly generated by the in-situ reaction of Ti with B or C, which is controlled by the solidification process. The laminated structure is achieved via printing multiple powders alternately. Both architectures promote simultaneous strengthening and toughening. Finally, the state of the art and future outlooks are briefly presented to provide a reference for the design and preparation of high-performance TMCs via additive manufacturing.