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Carbon–aluminum composites (CACs) are promising materials for the aviation and space industries, combining low weight with high strength and corrosion resistance. However, their practical application is limited by technological challenges, including the difficulty of impregnating carbon fibers with molten aluminum and the formation of brittle aluminum carbide at the phase interface. Despite many years of research and development, these composites have not yet achieved success due to persistent physicochemical and technological issues [1].
The formation of an optimal interface is key to the mechanical properties of CACs. To improve fracture toughness and strength, the fiber–matrix bond should be not maximized, but rather controlled at a low level. This can be achieved by optimizing thermal processing conditions and alloying the matrix, which suppresses the growth of brittle carbide phases.
In this study, X ray microtomography was used to examine the structure of pressed carbon–aluminum wire samples. Data segmentation enabled the identification of the aluminum matrix and carbon bundles, providing a basis for quantitative analysis and mathematical modeling of the mechanical properties of the composites. A numerical method for structural analysis of the samples was implemented. All projections of the samples were acquired using tomographs operated at the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" [2]. The CAC samples were obtained under the Russian Science Foundation project No. 22 79 10064 P.
This work was carried out as part of the state assignment of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute".
- Khokhlov A.V., et al., Journal of Physical Mesomechanics, 28(2), (2025)
- Buzmakov A. et al., Journal of Applied Crystallography, 48(3), (2015)