Effects of surface modification on the interfacial chemical stability and strength of continuous SiC fibres after exposure to molten aluminium

Abstract

High strength and chemically compatible bilayer TiC/C-coated SiC fibers have been successfully developed. These high strength coated fibers improve the fiber wettability and protect the reinforcement against degradation when in contact with molten Al. In addition, the adhesion of TiC/C coatings to both SiC fibers and aluminium matrix appears to be good. Therefore the coating system can provide effective load transfer from the matrix to fiber. These findings provide promising evidence for further exploration of the use of TiC/C as a protective coating system for continuous SiC fiber reinforced Al-based composites. Further work will be carried out to infiltrate coated SiC fiber preforms with molten Al to determine the mechanical properties of the composites.