Interfacial Reactions Between BaAl2Si2O8 and Molten Al Alloy at 1423 K and 1523 K (1150 °C and 1250 °C)

This work investigates the interfacial interactions of Al7075 alloy with BaAl2Si2O8 at high temperatures [1423 K and 1523 K (1150 °C and 1250 °C)]. X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to identify the mineralogical and microstructural changes at the interfaces. The vaporization, migration, and subsequent oxidation of alloying constituents (Mg and Zn) in contact with BaAl2Si2O8 caused intense interfacial phase transformations, forming spinel solid solution, magnesia solid solution, celsian-based solid solution, and barium magnesium silicate solid solution. The driving force for these phase transformations at the reaction front is the interdiffusion processes between Al (or Mg/Zn)-Si and Mg (or Zn)-Ba that occurs owing to the relative elemental gradients. The rate-limiting step of corrosion kinetics was identified to be Ba substitution in the MgO structure. The corrosion mechanism (extensive phase transformation of Ba-celsian by interdiffusion processes) at high temperatures was found to be different from that observed at lower temperatures [1123 K (850 °C)].