A COMBINED PROCESS OF COATING AND HYBRIDIZING FOR THE FABRICATION OF CARBON-FIBER-REINFORCED ALUMINUM-MATRIX COMPOSITES

A process which combines fiber coating and particles hybridizing has b een utilized for the fabrication of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum m atrix composite. Ceramic SiC coating was derived by Sol-gel method and SiC particle hybridizing was processed in Sol-gel solution simultaneo usly. Squeeze-cast process was used to get bulk composite materials. S EM analysis of the material showed a good fiber distribution in the Al matrix by particles hybridizing. HRTEM works indicated the coating to be an effective barrier of the C/Al interfacial reaction and had redu ced the interfacial shear strength noticeably. Mechanical properties o f the composite were improved especially for the axial strength. C/Al interfacial reaction was also studied which revealed that PAN-based ca rbon fiber reacted heavily with aluminum matrix. The nucleation and gr owth of the reactants were dominantly a random process. (C) 1997 Elsev ier Science Limited.