Thermo-Mechanical Characterization of Steel Based Composite with TiB 2 Particles by Synchrotron Diffraction

A ferritic steel composite with titanium diboride (TiB<sub>2</sub>) particles produced by in-situ precipitation was studied by means of synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Samples were subjected to an in-situ heat treatment which allowed to study the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the matrix and the reinforcement. In addition, in-situ tensile tests enable the observation of the load partitioning in the composite. A transfer of load from the ferritic matrix to the TiB2 particles was seen at the beginning of the plastic regimen of the matrix.