The in situ TiB/Ti–4.0Fe–7.3Mo composites were fabricated by plasma spark sintering (SPS) technique using mechanical alloying of Ti, Fe65Mo and B powder. The effects of sintering temperature on densification of the composites and microstructure of the in situ synthesized TiB were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A dense composite was obtained after sintering at 1000 ◦C for 5 min. Under proper ball milling and SPS conditions in situ TiB reinforced Ti–4.0Fe–7.3Mo composites have been prepared. The in situ TiB showed a typical needle shape grow along [010] direction. The transverse cross-section of TiB grain is a hexagonal shape with the planes of (100), (101) and (101). The stacking faults in the (100) plane were observed in the TiB needles.

A novel sol–gel process has been successfully developed for preparing strontium bismuth tantalite (SrBi2Ta2O9, known as SBT) with ethylene alcohol as a solvent and acetic acid as a catalyst. The size of phase-pure SBT nanoparticles could be 4 nm in diameter by avoiding the formation of the fluorite phase at the low temperatures (550–600◦C). The behavior of the crystallization in SBT is investigated by XRD, TG-DTA, FT-IR and TEM. The nanoparticle size as a function of the annealing temperature is also investigated. By fitting the Arrhenius curve, we obtain the crystalline and vitreous growth activation energies, i.e, Ea1 = 0.709 eV and Ea2 = 0.093 eV. The two other fitting parameters, transition temperature T0 = 814 K (541◦C) and transition width △= 0.022, directly show the behavior of the phase transition from vitreous phase to crystalline phase.

In situ TiB whisker reinforced Ti-4.0Fe-7.3Mo matrix composites have been fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The microstructure of the in situ TiB whiskers and interfacial structures in the composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The interfaces between in situ TiB and the Ti matrix are clean and faceted along the (100)TiB plane. However, small lateral growth steps are observed along the (101) and (101h) planes of TiB. Because of the characteristics of the TiB crystal structure, the growing velocity of the (100)TiB plane along the [010]TiB direction is much faster than that of the [001]TiB direction, which leads to TiB growth as a whisker shape along the [010]TiB direction with a hexagonal transverse section. The growth mechanism of TiB whiskers is a stacking process of the (100)TiB plane.

Three kinds of SiC particulates (SiCp), whose diameters range from millimeter through micrometer to nanometer (designated as m-SiCp, m-SiCp and n-SiCp, respectively), were separately incorporated into an Al–6wt.%Ti–6wt.%Nb alloy by high energy ball milling. The as-milled composite particles are appreciably refined particularly when finer SiC particulate was added, and so do the in situ formed Al3Ti, AlNb2 dispersoids as well as the Nb particles. The room temperature strength and ductility of the composites, except for the stiffness, deteriorate unexpectedly. Nonetheless, elevated temperature strength and thermal stability of the composites are improved and greater strength over that of the Al–6Ti–6Nb matrix alloy is exhibited above 240°C. The changes of the mechanical properties from room to elevated temperature are correlated with the microstructure and fractographs.