INFLUÊNCIA DA CONCENTRAÇÃO DE CAULIM CAMPO ALEGRE NAS PROPRIEDADES FÍSICAS E MECÂNICAS DE COMPÓSITOS DE CARBETO DE SILÍCIO/ALUMÍNIO

Abstract

The process of ceramics infiltration for casting metal is one sufficiently promising technique for manufacture of composites. Also known for squeezecasting, it allows the infiltration of high porous ceramic preforms or particulate systems of the most diverse natures, with the main objective of obtaining special properties such as low density, high hardness, high mechanical resistance, high resistance against superficial abrasion, etc. In this work was studied the aluminum infiltration in porous preforms of SiC – Campo Alegre kaolin. prepared by conventional ceramic processing. The preforms were formulated varying the amounts of kaolin in the composition from 10 to 50, in substitution to the SiC. The sintered preforms at 1100C, characterized by DRX, presented the following ceramic phases: silicon carbide ("Moissanite - 5/ITH); silicon oxide (Quartz) and, probably, mullite. The infiltrated composites characterized by DRX presented the following phases: silicon carbide ("Moissanite - 5/ITH), alumina, silicon and aluminum. MEV/EDX and DRX analyses showed the increase of the alumina concentration precipitated in the microstructure with the increase of the kaolin addition. This alumina precipitated is resulted of the reduction reaction of quartz and also mullite or another aluminosilicate by casting aluminum. A trend of improvement in the mechanical properties of the composite with the alumina increase in the microstructure was verified, arriviving the values of 300 MPa for flexural resistance and Vickers hardness of 472 kgf/mm2. Other advantages of the kaolin addition in the manufacture of compósitos SIC - Al is the reduction in price of the composite final coast and the inhibition of Al4C3 phase formation which is highly hygroscopic and degrades the composite at presence of humidity. Moreover, Campo Alegre kaolin has colloidal silica as impurity in its composition,