Physical and chemical fundamentals of combustion synthesis of skeleton ceramic-metal composites TiC-Al

The article describes the physical and chemical features of the process of the formation of a ceramic-metal composite TiC-Al by spontaneous infiltration of a hot porous ceramic TiC skeleton obtained by the method of self- propagating high-temperature synthesis (also called the method of combustion synthesis) with an Al melt. The mode of unidirectional infiltration regarding the direction of combustion propagation is considered. High-speed video camera shooting allowed comparing the propagation velocities of the combustion wave and the infiltration and revealing the partial evaporation of aluminum during high-temperature impregnation. Using the calculation of the thermodynamic isobaric- isothermal potential, the possible chemical reactions of the interaction of the hot TiC skeleton with the Al melt during the impregnation process and the products of this interaction are analyzed. The results of thermodynamic calculation of the product composition are compared with the experimental results of XRD phase analysis of the obtained samples of the TiC-Al composite.