Structure and amorphization of the oxide on the silicon carbide surface in an SiC{sub p}/Al composite
- Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ. (China). State Key Lab. of MMCs
The particulate silicon carbide reinforced aluminum composite (SiCp/Al) can be made with isotropic properties in three dimensions. Meanwhile, conventional secondary fabrication methods can be used to produce a wide range of product forms at relatively low cost. The main difficulty encountered in the fabrication of SiCp/Al is the ``chemical compatibility,`` which prescribes the wettability and reactability at the interface between the SiC particle and the Al matrix. At low temperatures the wettability of SiCp/Al is poor which results in a very weak interfacial bonding between the SiCp and the Al. At high temperatures, molten Al rapidly reacts with SiCp to form a brittle Al{sub 4}C{sub 3}, which leads to a poor corrosion resistance and degraded mechanical properties. Two methods have been proposed to increase the wettability while preventing excessive reactions between the Al and the SiCp. The first is alloying of the Al matrix. The second is surface treatment of the SiC particle, such as the surface deposition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and surface oxidation to SiO{sub 2}. Among various surface treatments, evolved so far, surface oxidation seems to be the best. The structure of this SiO{sub 2} layer was reported to be amorphous formed below 1,200 C and crystallized very rapid above 1,200 C. However, crystalline SiO{sub 2} oxidation layers on SiCp surface formed at 800--1,100 C were also reported. Discrepancies also exist in the literature pertinent to the effect of this layer on the interfacial reactions and mechanical properties of the SiCp/Al composites. The aim of the present work is to study the structure of the oxidation product on the as-oxidized and the after-composited SiC particles.
- OSTI ID:
- 352427
- Journal Information:
- Scripta Materialia, Vol. 40, Issue 9; Other Information: PBD: 9 Apr 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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