Finite element analysis of thermal stresses in Ti-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminated composites

For improving the mechanical properties of Ti-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminated (MIL), it is of vital importance for reducing tensile thermal stresses of this composites. In this work, finite element analysis was used to study the distribution and various reducing methods of thermal stresses in Ti-Al3Ti MIL composites, such as changing the layer thickness ratios, the layer numbers, remaining the residual Al, etc. The results showed that the tensile thermal stresses in outer Al3Ti layer is the highest, and the outer Al3Ti layer is the most likely fail. When the layer numbers are larger than 47, the tensile thermal stresses in outer Al3Ti layer are almost minimal and keep constant. When the thickness ratios are larger than 5, the tensile thermal stresses in Al3Ti layer decrease only a little. With the introduction of residual Al, the thermal stresses in Al3Ti layers switch from tension to compression state.