Achieving Al Melt/Carbon and Al-Ti Melts/Carbon Interfaces Wetting via Ultrasonic Couple Processing

Good wetting among Al, Al-Ti melts and C (carbon) solid was achieved by ultrasonic couple processing (UCP). Due to the action of interfacial tension of wetting, Al melt and Al-Ti melts climb along the side wall of C solid. The wetting angle at the triple junction of gaseous, liquid, and solid phases is all lower than 15 deg. In the meantime, good wetting between Al melt and C powder was also achieved by the ultrasonic couple processing. Al melt infiltrated into the interior of C powder through the capillarity. When the ultrasonic couple processing was applied in the system of wetting between Al-Ti melts and C powder, owing to the superimposed effect of incident acoustic wave and reflected acoustic wave at Al-Ti melts/C interface, local high temperature occurred in the Al-Ti melts near C interface, and the superimposed effect can effectively obstruct a direct reaction of Al melt and C, inhibit the formation of undesirable Al4C3, and promote dissolved Ti to react with C and dissociated C to form TiC particle phase.