High-temperature wetting and interfacial interaction between liquid Al and TiB 2 ceramic

The wetting behaviour and interfacial interactions between liquid Al and TiB 2 ceramic have been studied by the sessile drop technique in the temperature range from 700 to 1400 °C. At about 800 °C, liquid Al starts to wet TiB 2 and at about 1000 °C it completely spreads over the ceramic. Al 3 Ti and Al 2 O 3 are found to be the main phases precipitating at the interface. Starting from 1000 °C, liquid Al either fill pores or penetrates along the grain boundaries of the TiB 2 ceramic. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the interfaces evidences that the TiB 2 grains remain intact after the aluminium melt/ceramic interaction even at 1400 °C.