Reaction products of Al/TiC composites fabricated by the pressureless infiltration technique

Abstract

The interfacial reaction products of the Al-Mg/TiC p composite fabricated by the pressureless infiltration method were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). During the fabrication of composites, reaction products with various morphologies and sizes were formed in the A1 matrix as well as in the vicinity of the TiC particles by the interfacial reaction between the Al alloy and the TiC particles. From the EDS and selected-area diffraction pattern (SADP) analysis, Al4C3, Al18Ti2Mg3, Ti2AlC, Al3Ti, and TiAl could be identified to form as interfacial reaction products. Both the size and the amount of the reaction products were increased with increasing fabrication temperature as well as fabrication time. Coarse Al3Ti was barely observed in water-quenched composites, while it was observed at all fabrication temperatures (700 °C to 1000 °C) in furnace-cooled conditions.