INTERFACIAL PHENOMENA IN METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES

The role of the reinforcement/matrix interface in processing and the control of properties is reviewed with special emphasis on recent developments in structural metal-matrix composites (MMCs). Basic considerations such as the physical nature of the interface, thermodynamic and kinetic factors, and models relating interfacial parameters to composite performance are introduced. Examples of the application of available experimental methods of study are used to illustrate the scope of these techniques. The role of the interface in MMC processing is summarized with particular emphasis on liquid-stage processing. The role of the interface in property control is reviewed in terms of the influence of fibre damage, reaction products, load transfer and perturbations in matrix metallurgy. The complex interaction of these interfacial effects is illustrated by the case of property enhancement via hybridization of multifilament reinforcements with fine particles.