Fabrication of TiB₂/TiC–Ni composite ceramic through SHS-assisted shock consolidation and its mechanical properties

A bstract TiB₂/TiC–Ni ceramic composite bulks with exceptional mechanical properties were successfully synthesized using a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS)-assisted shock consolidation method, employing Ti, B₄C, and Ni as raw materials. Various characterization techniques were employed to analyze the microstructure, revealing a uniform distribution of TiB₂, TiC, and Ni micro-particles in the consolidated samples. The effects of temperature before shock consolidation and shock pressure on the properties of the ceramic bulks were systematically studied. The relative densities, hardness, and flexural strength of the consolidated samples were also evaluated. Optimal mechanical properties were observed when the temperature before shock consolidation was set to 1800 K and the shock pressure reached approximately 10 GPa. Under these conditions, the TiB₂/TiC–Ni composite ceramics exhibited a relative density of 99.5 %, a hardness of 19.24 GPa, and a flexural strength of 640 MPa. This study provides an efficient approach to preparing TiB₂/TiC–Ni composite ceramics with high relative density.