Ceramic particle reinforcement can be used to improve the surface properties of Ti6Al4V (Ti64) alloy. Powder metallurgy route is a promising method to fabricate such reinforced Ti64 components. To assess the relevance of this technique, this work investigates the effect generated by the addition of TiN particles in Ti64 powder during free sintering. TiN reinforcement particles were randomly distributed in the Ti64 matrix with three different concentrations in two configurations: completely reinforced and unreinforced–reinforced bilayer. Dilatometry was used to obtain the shrinkage kinetics of samples at 1200, 1300 and 1400°C under inert atmosphere and to investigate the impact of reinforced particles on the sintering behaviour. The microstructure of sintered materials was shown to be lamellar in the unreinforced material and equiaxed in reinforced materials. Finally, the Vickers microhardness measurement showed the huge benefit of adding TiN particles to increase the mechanical strength of the Ti64 alloy.

High-temperature erosion is a detrimental phenomenon in industries where particle flow exists, in which the search for new materials and mixes to increase the lifespan of mechanical components exposed to erosion is crucial. The present work studied the erosion resistance of two coatings at 25 °C (RT) and 900 °C in a sandblast-type rig. The coatings were fabricated with cermet-type powders: (C1) commercial Cr₃C₂-NiCr and (C2) commercial Cr₃C₂-NiCr mixed with a laboratory-conditioned powder consisting of NiCrAlY (linking matrix) and SiC (ceramic phase). Both coatings were applied on an Incoloy 330 substrate using an HVOF thermal spray process. The C2 coating was 11% harder than C1 but had a 62.2% decrement in its K_IC value. The erosion test results at RT and 900 °C showed better erosion resistance on C1 than C2 at both testing temperatures and the three impact angles (30°, 60°, and 90°); this was attributed to the minor K_IC induced by SiC hard particles and the bigger propagation of inter-splat and trans-splat cracks in C2. The erosion mechanisms at RT and 900 °C were similar, but at high temperature, the apparent size of plastic deformation (micro-cutting, grooves, and craters) increased due to an increase in the matrix ductility. Maximum penetration depth always occurred at a 60° impact angle.

Ti6Al4V (Ti64) alloy is the most used metal material for bone implants because of its good biocompatibility and adapted mechanical properties. Nevertheless, it shows low antibacterial activity, which may favor its failure. Addition of antibacterial elements such as copper should avoid this drawback. This work studies the addition of Cu into a Ti64 matrix resulting in Ti64/xCu composites. Powder mixtures of Ti64/xCu were compacted in a die and then sintered at 1100 °C. Sintering kinetics indicate that densification is achieved by pore filling due to eutectic liquid formed by the reaction of Ti and Cu. The microstructure of the sintered samples is composed mainly of α-Ti and Ti₂Cu phases, but TixCuy intermetallics were also found. Microhardness is increased by the addition of Cu due to densification and the formation of harder phases such as T_i2Cu. However, the stiffness and compression strength are barely the same for all composites. The corrosion resistance is significantly improved by the addition of Cu. Finally, the material with 15 wt% of copper showed the best compromise.