Al-TiC Composites Fabricated by a Thermally Activated Reaction Process in an Al Melt Using Al-Ti-C-CuO Powder Mixtures. Part I: Microstructural Evolution and Reaction Mechanism

Al matrix composites reinforced with TiC particles are fabricated by a thermally activated reaction of Al-Ti-C powder mixtures in an Al melt. In the presence of CuO, reactant mixtures in the form of a pellet added to molten Al at temperatures higher than 1093 K (820 A degrees C) instantly reach the peak temperature over 1785 K (1512 A degrees C), followed by combustion wave propagation with in situ synthesizing TiC with a size of approximately 1 mu m. Incomplete reaction products such as unreacted C, Al3Ti, and TiC aggregates are also observed. The pellet microstructure evolution upon the combustion reaction indicates that preheating temperature, i.e., the initial melt temperature, affects both the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the reaction, and thereby influences the final microstructure of the Al/TiC composites. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, a sequence of the reaction leading upto the in situ synthesis of TiC is illustrated and the corresponding mechanism for the present process is proposed.