Abstract:The composite powder with dense and uniform copper layer was synthesized using magnetron sputtering (Cu@TC4) technology, and then Ti2Cu reinforced TC4 matrix composites were fabricated using spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology. Effects of plating time on the powder morphologies and microstructure evolution of sintered composites were systematically investigated using optical microscope (OM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and electron probe analysis (EPMA). And the micro-hardness of sintered composites was measured using Vickers hardness tester. The results showed that the copper was evenly coated on the surface of TC4 powders. When the sputtering time was 1 h, the plating thickness was 0.7 μm. When the sputtering time was 4 h, the plating thickness increased to 3.7 μm. The coating thickness increased by 428% compared to that obtained by sputtering for 1 h, forming a shell-core structure. With the increase of copper plating time, OM microstructure of the sintered composite changed from Widmanstein structure to a mixture of Widmanstein structure and eutectoid structure, and the micro-hardness of the composite also increased, the microhardness of TMC4 was HV1 380.52, which was 14.4% higher than that of TC4 matrix (HV1 332.56). The main reason for the increase in microhardness could be attributed to the dispersion strengthening and fine grain strengthening of Ti2Cu nanoparticles distributed in the matrix.