Comparisons of performances in Ti-V-Al composites with single and multiple in-situ reinforcements

In the present study, various kinds of in-situ reinforcements were introduced into Ti-V-Al shape memory alloys to enhance strength. The results revealed that the addition of TiB 2 and B 4 C ceramic particles can form TiB whiskers and a mixture of TiB whiskers and TiC particles, respectively. Meanwhile, both TiB 2 and B 4 C ceramic particles can refine grain size of Ti-V-Al shape memory alloys. The addition of TiB 2 and B 4 C ceramic particles caused an increase in martensitic transformation temperature. The grain refinement and introduction of in-situ TiB whisker and TiC particles resulted in an obvious improvement in strength without sacrificing the strain recovery characteristics. For comparison, the addition of B 4 C ceramic particles can obtain high-performance Ti-V-Al shape memory alloys.