Effects of SiC Coating of Carbon Fiber on Mechanical Properties in Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Al Matrix Composite

A356 Al composites reinforced by short carbon fiber were prepared through the 2-step process: fabrication of a composite precursor and ultrasonication of the precursor melt. The short carbon fibers were coated with 0.15~1.5 μm thick SiC layer by a car-bothermal reaction, and an amount of the carbon fiber reinforcement was determined to be 1.5 vol.% and 4.0 vol.%, respectively. The addition of the carbon fiber increased the hardness of A356 alloy. However, tensile strength did not increase in the as-cast composites regardless of the SiC coating and volume fraction of the carbon fiber, due to the debonding which reduced load transfer efficiency from matrix to fiber at the interface. After T6-treatment of the composites, a significant increase in strength occurred only in the composite reinforced by the SiC-coated short carbon fiber, which was considered to result from the formation of a precipitate improving the Al/SiC interfacial strength