Elimination of Al₄C₃ Phase in Al/SiC_P Composites by HYSYCVD

Abstract:

This paper presents results of the microstructure characterization and evaluation of physical and mechanical properties of Al/SiC_p composites intentionally containing the Al₄C₃ phase prepared by pressureless infiltration, as well as results of treating the composites by the hybrid system chemical vapor deposition (HYSYCVD) route using Na₂SiF₆ as solid precursor. It also contains thermodynamic feasibility calculations (using the HSC 6.1^TM program) of possible reactions between the SiF_{x (x=1-4)} gas species (produced during the thermal decomposition of Na₂SiF₆), Al₄C₃ and N₂ in the atmosphere. The composites were fabricated using an L4 Taguchi experimental design, infiltrating SiC_p porous preforms at 1100 and 1200 °C in ultra high purity (UHP) argon and nitrogen (ArN₂) atmosphere for 90 and 120 min, with the Al-6Si-16Mg (wt. %) alloy. The specimens were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. Results show that the composites exhibit a surface hardness between 63.95 and 86.5 (HR30T) and Young´s modulus up to 118.2 GPa. Application of a post-processing stage by HYSYCVD led to the elimination of Al₄C₃ and the formation of a coating of stable phases on the composites surface. The experimental results confirm the thermodynamic feasibility of the proposed chemical reactions.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 755)
• Pages: 9-14
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.755.9
• Online since: April 2013
• Authors: E. Trujillo-Vázquez, M.I. Pech-Canul, L.A. González, E. López-Honorato, H.M. Hernández-García
• Keywords: Al/SiC Composite, Al₄C₃, Elimination, HYSYCVD, Na₂Sif₆

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