Microstructure and interfaces of Al2O3/SiC nanocomposite.

Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites were successfully prepared by the conventional powder metallurgical technique. The microstructures of Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites were mainly investigated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). TEM observaions indicated that the Al2O3 matrix grains were essentially equiaxed with the average gain size of 1 to 2 μm and the SiC particles were predominantly dispersed within Al2O3 matrix grains. Al2O3-SiC interfaces in Al2O3 grains containing intragranular SiC were generally observed with faceting but in part with sphere by high resolution electron microscopy(HREM). HREM observations also revealed that the Al2O3 and SiC grains in Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites made direct interfaces without any reacting phases.