Bulk Fe-TiC-Fe3C nanocomposites formed by mechanical alloying in liquid organic media and by magnetic pulse compaction

Bulk Fe-TiC-Fe 3 C nanocomposites were fabricated by compaction of powders which were prepared by mechanical alloying of Fe (82 at %) and Ti (18 at %) in the media of toluene and vinyltriethoxysilane. The compacts were then annealed at 925°C. The structure and phase composition of the composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, electron and atomic force microscopies, and Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. It was shown that the use of organic liquids as a carbon source during mechanical alloying makes it possible to obtain materials with nanosized carbide inclusions uniformly distributed in the bulk material. Some combinations of the medium for mechanical alloying and milling time allow one to fabricate composites with high microhardness (12 GPa) and enhanced corrosion resistance.