Spark Plasma Sintering of Dinickel Boride Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites

The synthesis of dinickel boride (2.5 wt.% and 7.5 wt.%) reinforced with titanium matrix was achieved using spark plasma sintering. The characterization of the sintered samples was investigated with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Optical microscope (OM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The OM and SEM images of the sintered samples revealed lamellar structures with particle distributions. The relative densities of the sintered samples increased from 94.3% to 97.3%. In contrast, the microhardness values increased from 181 HV1 to 275.2 HV1 due to the addition of Ni2B particles. Furthermore, the tensile properties of the sintered composites decreased with increasing Ni2B contents. The addition of Ni2B particles increased the wear resistance of the fabricated samples. The fractography of the sintered composite showed ductile and brittle failures.