Abstract
TC4/Al(3)Ti metal-intermetallic laminated (MIL) composites were fabricated by the vacuum hot-pressing process at 650 °C. The microstructure characteristics, i.e., grain boundary distribution, crystallographic orientation and Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) map, were analyzed using EBSD. Meanwhile, the distribution of local strain and the fracture behavior of TC4/Al(3)Ti MIL composites during tensile process were determined by Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and in situ tensile experiments, respectively. Results show that the TC4/Al(3)Ti interfaces are well bonded and exhibit a distinct wavy morphology. The obvious Kirkendall pores and centerline are observed within the central region of the Al(3)Ti layer. The texture components of (10-10) <0001> and (11-20) <10-10> are predominant in the TC4 layers; (100) <001> and (110) <001> are observed in the Al(3)Ti layer. Additionally, the average geometrically necessary dislocation (GNDs) density is 2.53 × 10(14) m(-2) in the TC4 layer, whereas it is 1.74 × 10(14) m(-2) in the Al(3)Ti layer. In the tensile test, the fracture resistance of TC4/Al(3)Ti MIL composites is significantly improved by the plastic deformation of the TC4 layers and the suppression of crack-tip instability. It is found that the extrinsic toughening mechanisms contain crack deflection, crack blunting, crack bridging, multiple cracking modes, and the plastic deformation of ductile TC4 layers in TC4/Al(3)Ti MIL composites. The real-time observation technique may provide more complete insights into the relationship between fracture behavior and enhanced toughness.