The stability and transformation of TiC with different stoichiometries in Cu-Si melts

In this work, the stability and transformation of two kinds of TiC with different stoichiometries in Cu-Si melts are studied, respectively. It is found that the near-stoichiometirc TiC with fewer carbon vacancies (designated as TiCx), such as TiC0.9, is relatively stable in Cu-Si melts, while the non-stoichiometric TiC with more carbon vacancies (designated as TiCy), such as TiC0.6, is unstable. And TiCy tends to transform into TiCx. Meanwhile, some Ti element from TiCy will be dissolved into the melts. It is considered that the addition of Si influences the equilibrium between TiC with different stoichiometries and soluble Ti in Cu melts, which results in the transformation of TiC. According to the results, the stoichiometry of TiC must be controlled when it is used as the reinforced phase in Cu-Si alloys. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.