Microstructure of the Ti3Al(Nb)/TiB composite produced by combustion synthesis

The combustion synthesis technique was used to produce the intermetallic composite α2-Ti3Al(Nb) reinforced with TiB fibers. The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Neither the β nor the β0 phase was found in the intermetallic matrix. The TiB phase with B27 structure existed in the form of polycrystalline faceted whiskers growing in the (010) direction of the unit cell. No defined crystallographic relationship between the TiB whiskers and the matrix was found in this investigation.