A new type of bioinspired TiC/Ti laminated composites with a brick-and-mortar structure

Inspired by the brick-and-mortar structure (BMS) of natural nacre, this study presents a novel TiC/Ti BMS laminated composite material (BMS-LCM) fabricated using vacuum hot pressing and hot rolling. The unique architecture significantly improves the material's mechanical properties, particularly its bending strength. When loaded perpendicular to the lamination direction, the BMS-LCM achieved a bending strength of ∼948.70 MPa, a ∼36 % increase over conventional laminated composites. An additional hot pressing step at 800 °C further boosted this value to ∼994.23 MPa while effectively eliminating bending anisotropy. The BMS-LCM exhibited a soft-hard alternating load distribution pattern between TiC and Ti, resulting in synergistic crack deflection and bridging toughening mechanisms that improved the overall toughness of the material. This study provides a theoretical foundation for designing novel composite materials with exceptionally well-balanced mechanical properties.