Graphene (GR) demonstrates significant potential in enhancing the mechanical performance of titanium matrix composites (TMCs), particularly by improving their tensile strength, fracture toughness, and fatigue resistance, thereby optimizing the overall structural integrity and durability of the composites; however, their practical implementation confronts two fundamental challenges: achieving uniform dispersion and mitigating excessive interfacial TiC formation, which compromises mechanical properties. This review comprehensively explores progress in the fabrication, interfacial design, and mechanical optimization of TMCs reinforced with graphene-based materials. Various processing techniques, such as powder metallurgy (PM) and spark plasma sintering (SPS), are critically analyzed in terms of their advantages and limitations for producing high-performance TMCs. This article analyzes how key parameters in processes like PM and SPS affect graphene structure, dispersion, and interfacial reactions. It outlines strategies—including surface modification, 3D structural design, and multiscale interface engineering—that enhance both strength and toughness. While progress has been made in microscale performance, challenges remain in engineering stability and long-term reliability. Future work should focus on intelligent process optimization and architectured composite manufacturing. By systematically synthesizing existing research findings, this article clarifies the advantages and limitations of current technological approaches, providing a theoretical foundation and technical roadmap for the subsequent development of graphene-reinforced TMCs that exhibit high strength, high toughness, and excellent reliability.

During the initial extrusion stage of the as-sintered GNPs/TA15 composite, dislocations accumulated along the GNPs and grain boundaries, leading to the formation of a subgrain structure. As extrusion progressed, these subgrains underwent rotation and transformed into finer grains through dynamic recrystallization. This process resulted in significant grain refinement, with the average grain size decreasing from 3.04 μm to 1.30 μm. Concurrently, the Ti matrix adjacent to the GNPs initially flowed towards the GNPs and subsequently elongated along the extrusion direction (ED). Furthermore, the deformed α grains experienced slip along the {10$\overline{1}$0}⟨11$\overline{2}$0⟩ system, giving rise to the development of [10$\overline{1}$1]//ED and [20$\overline{2}$1]//ED α textures. This study elucidates the influence of GNPs on the microstructural evolution, particularly in terms of grain refinement and the formation of α textures, as a function of increasing extrusion ratios.

An equiatomic FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy was processed by cold rolling followed by isothermal annealing at 900 °C for various durations. The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the alloy were systematically investigated as a function of annealing time. The results indicate that the alloy maintained a single-phase face-centered cubic (FCC) structure throughout the entire annealing process, with no secondary phases or precipitates detected. After annealing at 900 °C for 2 min, the recrystallized volume fraction reached approximately 80%, resulting in the formation of an ultrafine-grained microstructure. The corresponding Vickers hardness, yield strength, and total elongation were measured to be 249 HV, 616 MPa, and 32%, respectively, demonstrating a desirable combination of strength and ductility. The recrystallization process was essentially complete after 5 min of annealing. With further increases in annealing time, the grain size continued to coarsen, accompanied by a gradual decrease in hardness and strength and a progressive improvement in ductility, reflecting a typical strength–ductility trade-off.

Ni-W-Y₂O₃ composite coatings were electrodeposited from a sulfate citrate electrolyte incorporating Y₂O₃ particles of three different sizes: 50 nm, 1 μm, and 2 μm. This study systematically investigates the impact of Y₂O₃ particle size on the microstructure, microhardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance of the composite coatings. The incorporation of Y₂O₃ particles leads to notable grain refinement, with the crystallite size decreasing from 31.8 nm for the pure Ni W coating to 17.3 nm, 19.0 nm, and 20.1 nm for the C-50 nm, C-1 μm, and C-2 μm coatings, respectively. Correspondingly, the microhardness increases from 540.2 HV for the unreinforced coating to 732.5 HV, 641.0 HV, and 629.5 HV for the C-50 nm, C-1 μm, and C-2 μm coatings, respectively. In terms of corrosion resistance, the C-50 nm coating exhibits the best performance in both acidic and neutral media, with the lowest corrosion current density of 3.72 μA/cm² in 10 wt.% H₂SO₄ and 3.53 μA/cm² in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. In contrast, micron-sized particles show limited improvement in acidic media and even degrade the corrosion resistance in neutral NaCl solution, where the corrosion current density increases to 7.68 μA/cm² and 7.74 μA/cm² for the C-1 μm and C-2 μm coatings, respectively. The wear resistance of the composite coatings is significantly enhanced by the incorporation of Y₂O₃ particles, with the wear rate decreasing from 17.75 × 10⁻⁶ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹ for the pure Ni-W coating to 5.65 × 10⁻⁶ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹ for the C-50 nm coating. The presence of Y₂O₃ particles transitions the wear mechanism from predominantly adhesive wear to a combination of adhesive and abrasive wear. These results demonstrate that the particle size of Y₂O₃ plays a critical role in determining the microstructure and overall performance of Ni-W-Y₂O₃ composite coatings, with nano-sized particles offering the most significant improvements.