Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Dynamics of wetting in reactive metal/ceramic systems: Linear spreading

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
;  [1]
  1. INP Grenoble, Saint Martin d`Heres (France)

The kinetics of wetting in the reactive pure aluminium/vitreous carbon (Cv) system was investigated by the sessile drop technique in high vacuum. It was found that the curve showing the radius of the metal drop base R as a function of time t consisted of a central part where the radial spreading of the drop is a linear function of time, and two extremal parts where significant deviations from linearity are observed. By characterizing the Al/Cv interface at different stages of the process, both far from and close to the Al/Cv/vapor triple line, it is shown that (i) in the linear spreading regime wetting kinetics is controlled by a nearly 2D reaction between Al and Cv at the triple line, forming aluminium carbide; and (ii) linearity is closely associated with steady-state growth of the carbide at the triple line. At the beginning of the wetting process, deoxidation of the Al drop and, thereafter, transient-state growth of carbide, cause considerable deviations from linearity in the R(t) curve. Moreover, at the end of spreading, when the contact angle tends towards the steady contact angle of the system, a deviation from linearity is also observed and attributed to the roughness of the reaction product. Finally, examples from the literature are given suggesting that linear spreading may be effective in many reactive metal-on-metal and metal-on-ceramic systems.

OSTI ID:
415392
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 44; ISSN 1359-6454; ISSN ACMAFD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Influence of substrate orientation on wetting kinetics in reactive metal/ceramic systems
Journal Article · Sat Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1996 · Scripta Materialia · OSTI ID:413258

Influence of interfacial reaction rates on the wetting driving force in metal/ceramic systems
Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science · OSTI ID:417875

Wetting and Reaction Characteristics of Al2O3/SiC Composite Refractories By Molten Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy
Conference · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2006 · OSTI ID:931047