The Mechanical Performance of In Situ
Processed Nickel-Titanium-Graphite
Metal Matrix Composites: Influence
of Processing
Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering
Amit Patil, Ganesh Walunj, Tyler B. Torgerson, Manindra V. Koricherla,
Mohammed U. F. Khan, Thomas W. Scharf, Rajeev Gupta,
and Tushar Borkar
Abstract Nickel-Titanium-Graphite-based metal matrix composites (MMC) with
in situ formed titanium carbide (TiC), as well as graphite (C) reinforcement in the
nickel (Ni) metal matrix, were processed using mechanical alloying (MA) and spark
plasma sintering (SPS). The objective of this study is to synthesize the Ni-Ti-C
composites by altering the carbon to titanium ratio and characterize to study its
effects on mechanical and tribological behavior as compared with SPS processed pure
nickel. Results indicated that these composites exhibit refined microstructure and
the homogeneously distributed titanium carbide reinforcement in the nickel matrix.
Moreover, by tailoring the carbon to titanium ratio in these composites, an additional
graphitic phase is engineered into the microstructure. The steady-state coefficient of
friction is obtained for pure nickel and Ni-Ti-C composites. The Ni-Ti-C composites
exhibited increment in microhardness, as well as a significant improvement in the
tribological behavior as compared to pure nickel.
Keywords Nickel-titanium carbide-graphite (Ni-Ti-C) composites · Mechanical
alloying · Spark plasma sintering · Tribological performance · Metal matrix
composites
A. Patil · G. Walunj · T. Borkar (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
e-mail: T.Borkar@csuohio.edu
T. B. Torgerson · M. V. Koricherla · T. W. Scharf
Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207, USA
M. U. F. Khan · R. Gupta
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_1
3
Processed Nickel-Titanium-Graphite
Metal Matrix Composites: Influence
of Processing
Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering
Amit Patil, Ganesh Walunj, Tyler B. Torgerson, Manindra V. Koricherla,
Mohammed U. F. Khan, Thomas W. Scharf, Rajeev Gupta,
and Tushar Borkar
Abstract Nickel-Titanium-Graphite-based metal matrix composites (MMC) with
in situ formed titanium carbide (TiC), as well as graphite (C) reinforcement in the
nickel (Ni) metal matrix, were processed using mechanical alloying (MA) and spark
plasma sintering (SPS). The objective of this study is to synthesize the Ni-Ti-C
composites by altering the carbon to titanium ratio and characterize to study its
effects on mechanical and tribological behavior as compared with SPS processed pure
nickel. Results indicated that these composites exhibit refined microstructure and
the homogeneously distributed titanium carbide reinforcement in the nickel matrix.
Moreover, by tailoring the carbon to titanium ratio in these composites, an additional
graphitic phase is engineered into the microstructure. The steady-state coefficient of
friction is obtained for pure nickel and Ni-Ti-C composites. The Ni-Ti-C composites
exhibited increment in microhardness, as well as a significant improvement in the
tribological behavior as compared to pure nickel.
Keywords Nickel-titanium carbide-graphite (Ni-Ti-C) composites · Mechanical
alloying · Spark plasma sintering · Tribological performance · Metal matrix
composites
A. Patil · G. Walunj · T. Borkar (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
e-mail: T.Borkar@csuohio.edu
T. B. Torgerson · M. V. Koricherla · T. W. Scharf
Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207, USA
M. U. F. Khan · R. Gupta
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_1
3