The microstructure of a pressureless infiltrating 55vol% oxidized SiC preform by Al-8Mg alloy was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM (HRTEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction. The TEM image of the interface between Al and SiC shows that the surface of SiC is covered by a rough nanocrystal layer of MgAl2O4, Al2O3, and Si, produced by the interfacial reaction of Al, Mg, and SiO2 on the surface of SiC. The Al-SiC interface is also examined by HRTEM to be better understood how MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 are produced. Dendritic Al2O3 crystals are embedded in the pores of the composite generated from the mutual bonding of SiO2 on the surface of SiC. Columnar AlN crystals of about 250 nm in length are bunched vertically on the SiC particle surface.
The effect of Mg and Si additon to Al matrix on infiltration kinetics and rates of Al alloys pressureless infiltration into porous SiCp preform was investigated by observing the change of infiltration distance with time as the Al alloys infiltrate into SiCp preforms at different temperatures.The results show that infiltration of SiCp preforms by Al melt is a thermal activation process and there is an incubation period before the infiltration becomes stable.With the increase of Mg content in the Al alloys from 0wt% to 8wt%,the infiltration will become much easier,the incubation period becomes shorter and the infiltration rate is faster,but these effects are not obvious when the Mg content is higher than 8wt%.As for Si addition to the Al alloys,it has no obvious effect on the incubation period,but the infiltration rate increases markedly with the increase of Si content from 0wt% to 12wt% and the rate has no obvious change when the content is bigger than 12wt%.The effect of Mg and Si on the incubation period is related to the infiltration mechanism of Al pressureless infiltration into SiCp preforms and their impact on the infiltration rate is a combined result from viscosity and surface tension of Al melt and SiC-Al wetting ability.
