In a landmark advancement for structural materials engineering, researchers have developed a novel heterostructured titanium matrix composite that demonstrates exceptional mechanical performance from room temperature to elevated temperatures. This breakthrough overcomes the long-standing challenge of balancing strength and ductility in titanium composites, opening new possibilities for aerospace and high-temperature applications. Conventional titanium matrix composites have traditionally faced a critical trade-off: while achieving high strength at elevated temperatures through uniformly distributed reinforcements, they often suffer from poor room-temperature ductility due to stress concentration and crack propagation along reinforcement-rich zones. This limitation has persisted despite various strengthening mechanisms, until now.
The research team created a TA15-Si-TiB composite featuring a unique multi-scale heterogeneous architecture. The design comprises spherical heterostructural grains (53–75 μm in diameter) with TiB whiskers uniformly distributed in the matrix, forming interconnected coarse-grained zones. Crucially, the material incorporates both hundred-micrometer-scale heterostructured grains and a continuous network of nanoscale (Ti,Zr)₅Si₃ precipitates, enabling synergistic reinforcement mechanisms. The composite achieves remarkable mechanical properties: yield strength of 1,286 MPa with 9.5% ductility at room temperature—representing a 50% strength improvement over the TA15 matrix alloy while maintaining excellent ductility. At 600°C, it maintains 700 MPa strength, extending the service temperature limit by 150°C compared to conventional alloys. By demonstrating controlled dislocation activity and strain distribution through its hierarchical architecture, this research establishes a new paradigm for designing materials that transcend traditional strength-ductility trade-offs. The strategy of coupling HDI hardening at hundred-micrometer scales with nanoscale dislocation strengthening paves the way for next-generation structural materials capable of performing reliably across extreme temperature ranges. The work entitled “Ultrastrong and ductile hierarchical heterostructured titanium composites from room to high temperatures” was published in Advanced Powder Materials (Available online on 1 November 2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.apmate.2025.100369