Interaction Between the Growth and Dissolution of Intermetallic Compounds in the Interfacial Reaction Between Solid Iron and Liquid Aluminum

• Published in: Metallurgical and materials transactions. A, Physical metallurgy and materials science Vol. 47; no. 10; pp. 5088 - 5100
• Main Authors: Chen, Shuhai, Yang, Dongdong, Zhang, Mingxin, Huang, Jihua, Zhao, Xingke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dissolution; Formations; Interface reactions; Intermetallic compounds; Intermetallics; Iron; Liquids; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Metallurgy; Nanotechnology; Structural Materials; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Transformations; Parent Metal; Interfacial Reaction; Increase Reaction Time; Liquid Aluminum; Interfacial Microstructure
• ISSN: 1073-5623; 1543-1940
• DOI: 10.1007/s11661-016-3667-4

The interfacial reaction between solid steel and liquid aluminum has been widely investigated in past decades; however, some issues, such as the solid/liquid interfacial structure, formation mechanisms of FeAl 3 and Fe 2 Al 5 , and interaction between the growth and dissolution of intermetallic compounds, are still not fully understood. In this study, a hot-dipping method is designed to investigate the interfacial reaction in the temperature range between 973 K and 1273 K (700 °C 1000 °C) for 10 to 60 seconds. The intensification of the dissolution leads to the transformation of FeAl 3 /liquid aluminum into Fe 2 Al 5 /liquid aluminum in the solid/liquid structure with increasing reaction temperature. The formation of FeAl 3 adhered to the interface depends not only on the reaction mechanism but also on precipitation at relatively low temperatures. In contrast, precipitation is the only formation mechanism for FeAl 3 at relatively high temperatures. Austenitizing results in the complete transformation of the tongue-like Fe 2 Al 5 /Fe interface to a flat shape. The growth of Fe 2 Al 5 with respect to the maximum thickness is governed by the interfacial reaction process, whereas the growth of Fe 2 Al 5 with respect to the average thickness is governed by the diffusion process in the range of 973 K to 1173 K (700 °C to 900 °C) for 10 to 60 seconds. The dissolution of the parent metal is due to the natural dissolution of FeAl 3 at low temperatures and Fe 2 Al 5 at high temperatures.