EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE OXIDATION OF NICKEL ON WETTING BEHAVIOUR IN INDUSTRIAL ALLOY 226D/Ni SYSTEM

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of technological factors (surface treatment and contact time) on the kinetics of wetting of nickel substrates by a liquid aluminum alloy. Wetting kinetics studies were carried out in vacuum at 700°C with a sessile drop method, using the CP (capillary purification) test procedure. The CP procedure involves heating separately a pair of test materials, while a drop of metal is cleaned from the oxide coating by pressing the melt through the graphite drip. Tests were carried out on the industrial alloy 226D (Al base, Si 10.75%, Cu 3.3%, Fe 0.75%, Mn 0.215%, Mg 0.2%, Zn 0.23%), and pellets of freshly polished nickel (Ni 99.8%) and nickel oxidized at 200°C for 2 hours (Ni^ox). After wettability tests the transverse sections of the solidified samples were subjected to shear strength trials, measurements of microhardness and structural observations by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in order to clarify the structure of phase boundaries in 226D/Ni and 226D/Ni^ox pairs.

Download 6.52 MB >>