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Abstract

Components of equipment used in the mining and rock crushing sectors are often made of high chromium white cast iron (HCWI) due to its well-known abrasion and impact resistance. This resistance can be further enhanced when ex-situ Titanium Carbide (TiC) is added to the alloy as a strengthening phase. However, the interface between the ex-situ TiC and HCWI tends to be weak due to the poor wettability between Fe and TiC, leading to the composite’s failure at the TiC-HCWI interface. As a result, this research explored methods to strengthen the interface between ex-situ TiC and HCWI. This study systematically investigated the ex-situ TiC/HCWI interface using combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. Unlike prior works, it evaluated the effects of compositional, morphological, and processing parameters on interfacial bonding. For the first time, interpretable Machine Learning quantified the relative influence of these factors, providing insights into interface mechanisms and a framework for optimizing bonding and enhancing the performance of TiC-reinforced HCWI composites. The results suggest that the presence in Nickel (Ni) and Molybdenum (Mo) additives to the TiC significantly improved the interface between the ex-situ TiC and HCWI. Both Ni and Mo influenced the interface penetration (diffusion) depth due to synergistic effect of thermal diffusivity of the modified TiC and the presence of elemental Ni and Mo at the interface. In addition to exploring interface, the geometry of the ex-situ TiC composites was related to the solidification kinetics of the HCWI in the immediate vicinity of the TiC. Wear testing results were compared and explained, and findings indicated that porosity in the Spark Plasma Sintered preform increased the wear rate. The results from this research may help guide synthesis of novel ex-situ TiC composite ceramics to further enhance the wear resistance of HCWI.