Wetting kinetics and bonding of Al and Al alloys on α-SiC

The wetting behaviour of aluminium on basal planes of α-SiC single crystals was investigated between 1000 and 1200 K by the sessile drop technique in high vacuum. The experiments were focused on wetting kinetics to determine the mechanisms controlling the rate of spreading and to identify all the characteristic contact angles formed during an isothermal experiment. Pure Al and Al alloys with silicon, copper and tin were studied. In some experiments SiC substrates covered by a silica layer 10–50 nm thick were used.