Synergistic enhancement of strength and ductility of Ti2AlC/TiAl through Mn solid solution and interface manipulation

• Mn doping forms Ti–Mn bonds at the Ti2AlC/TiAl interface with mixed metallic/covalent bonding, preserving strength while enhancing ductility. • Mn addition refines the lamellar colony size by 25.1% and lamellar thickness by 27.4%, with uniformly distributed 1.6 μm Ti2AlC particles. • Compared with Ti2AlC/TiAl, the composite achieves 5.5% higher yield stress, 11.5% higher ultimate compressive stress, 10.4% higher fracture strain, and 23.0% higher strength-plasticity product. • Strength improvement arises from grain refinement, solid solution of Mn, and twinning strengthening, while grain refinement and twins relieve stress concentration to improve ductility.