Chapter 10 - Composite Materials with SiC, Al2O3, and SiO2

Abstract

This chapter discusses the phase composition of metal-matrix composite materials (MCMs) based on the aluminum-carbon-silicon (Al-C-Si) and aluminum-oxygen-silicon (Al-O-Si) systems. These MCMs have a matrix of aluminum or its alloys reinforced with fibers or particles of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), or silicon carbide (SiC). The Al-C-Si system is the basis for aluminum-matrix composites reinforced with SiC. The Al-O-Si phase examines the interactions between aluminum on one side and Al2O3, SiO2, and mullite (AlSiO) on the other. From the analysis of the Al-O binary system, it follows that in the absence of water a stable compound, Al2O3 (47.1% O) is in equilibrium with aluminum solid solution. The chapter considers the interaction between aluminum matrix and SiC reinforcement and suggests some metastable and non-equilibrium section of the Al-C-Si phase diagram as applicable to the composite materials. It discusses two types of MCMs for the examination of the interaction between the matrix and the reinforcing phases: MCMs containing 20% SiC particles and MCMs containing 10 vol.% SiC fibers.