Study on Manufacturing via Slip Casting and Properties of Alumina-Titanium Composite Enhanced by Thialite Phase

This paper aims to study the Al(2)O(3)/Ti ceramic-metal composite obtained by the slip casting method. Samples containing 50% volume of the solid phase, including 10% volume of the metallic phase, were investigated. The rheological properties were analyzed. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed. The properties of the obtained composite determined the phase composition using and SEM/EDS microstructural analysis and the XRD method. The size of the titanium particles equals 20.6 ± 10.1 mm, which corresponds to 27.5% of the initial size and indicates significant fragmentation of the titanium powder during the manufacturing of the composite. The relative density of the fabricated composites was equal to 99%. The slip casting method allows to obtain the proposed composite additionally enhanced by the presence of TiO(2) and Al(2)TiO(5) (thialite). Research results revealed a non-Newtonian character of the composite suspension flow with clear thinning under the influence of increasing shear forces. The obtained composites are characterized by the lack of visible defects (cracks, microcracks and delamination) on the surface.