A Study on Dissolution Behaviors of SiCp in Al-SiCp Composite

Al-SiCp복합재료에서 SiCp의 용해거동에 관한 연구

Aluminum base composites reinforced with various amount of SiC particles and Mg contents have been investigated by different fabrication method for twenty-years. In this paper, how the decomposition and dissolution behaviors of $SiCp(20{\mu}m)$ in the melt of Al composites arised was studied. As the results, the decomposition and dissolution of SiCp into the melt of Al composites increased with increase of the temperature above $720^{\circ}C$, and holding time at a given melting temperature. Because SiC is thermodynamically unstable in this Al-SiCp composite at temperature above the liquidus, SiCp dissolves and reacts with Al in matrix to form $Al_4C_3$ according to following chemical equation $4Al+3SiC{\rightarrow}Al_4C_3+3Si$, Si decomposed and dissolved from SiCp increases Si content of matrix, while liquidus temperature of matrix decrease with increase of SiC content in matrix. The hardness of SiCp decreased with increase of the melting temperature, the hardness of the matrix /particle interface increased with increase of the melting temperature due to increase of the $Mg_2Si$ and $Al_4C_3$ intermetallic compounds, etc.