Method of producing titanium alloy composite material

Abstract

A method of producing a titanium alloy composite material comprises mixing carbon fibers and a powder of an element which forms a carbide in reaction with carbon, subliming the element under high temperature vacuum, and coating the carbon fibers with a layer containing the element and the carbide to produce coated carbon fibers. The method further comprises mixing the coated carbon fibers and titanium alloy powder to form a mixture, and applying a mechanical impact force to the mixture to fix the carbon fibers on the surface of the titanium alloy powder to obtain a carbon fiber-fixed titanium alloy powder. The method further comprises sintering the carbon fiber-fixed titanium alloy powder to form a sintered body and plastic working the sintered body to disperse the carbon fibers in crystal grains of the titanium alloy.

1 .- 5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . A method of producing a titanium alloy composite material, comprising:
 mixing carbon fibers and a powder of an element which forms a carbide in reaction with carbon, subliming the element under high temperature vacuum, and coating the carbon fibers with a layer containing the element and the carbide to produce coated carbon fibers;   mixing the coated carbon fibers and titanium alloy powder to form a mixture, and applying a mechanical impact force to the mixture to fix the carbon fibers on the surface of the titanium alloy powder to obtain a carbon fiber-fixed titanium alloy powder;   sintering the carbon fiber-fixed titanium alloy powder to form a sintered body; and   plastic working the sintered body to disperse the carbon fibers in crystal grains of the titanium alloy.   
   
   
       7 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to  claim 6 , further comprising aging the plastic-worked titanium alloy composite material. 
   
   
       8 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to  claim 6 , including sintering is with pulsed electric current. 
   
   
       9 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to  claim 6 , wherein the plastic working is at least one process selected from hot rolling and isothermal forging. 
   
   
       10 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to  claim 6 , wherein the element comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), tantalum (Ta), molybdenum (Mo), zirconium (Zr), boron (B), and calcium (Ca). 
   
   
       11 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to  claim 6 , wherein the carbon fibers comprise carbon nanotubes, vapor-grown carbon fibers, or a mixture thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The method of producing a titanium alloy composite material according to any  claim 6 , wherein the mixture of the carbon fibers and the titanium alloy powder comprises 0.1% to 10% by mass of the carbon fibers. 
   
   
       13 .- 16 . (canceled)