Formation and evolution of Al/steel interface structure in composite casting

Al/steel composite materials were prepared using liquid-solid composite casting method,with aluminum as the liquid and 45 steel rods as the solid.The key factors affecting the formation and evolution of intermetallic compounds at the Al/steel reaction interface were studied.Results show that the defects present in the intermetallic compounds prepared at a liquid temperature of 900℃and a holding time of 20 s are the least.The average hardness of Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase is 3 times higher than that of 45 steel and more than 7 times higher than that of pure aluminum.The average shear strength of the sample obtained through air cooling is higher than that of water cooling,and Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase is the main reason for the brittle fracture of the sample.The activation energy calculation of intermetallic compounds reveals that Fe_(2)Al_(5)is easy to grow up than FeAl_(3)phase under air cooling conditions,and FeAl_(3)is easy to grow up than Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase under water cooling conditions.This work offers assistance in studying the formation of intermetallic compounds during composite casting processes.