Revealing the role of magnesium in achieving superior SiC–Al interfacial bonding via in-situ TEM observation

SiC reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are widely employed in various fields, and great importance has been attached to SiC/Al interface. Here, SiC/2009Al AMCs are fabricated for further research into SiC/Al interfaces using in-situ TEM observation, the deformation behavior and microcrack propagation around SiC/Al interface are investigated. The magnesium-rich phases are found to play an important role, acting as the connecting layers of SiC/Al interface, for effective load transition and interfacial bonding. Meanwhile, the cracks are found to initiate near the Al2Cu phases, propagate inside the matrix and finally contribute to fracture. Overall, this work provides valuable insights for SiC/Al interface improvement.