Fabrication of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites via a titanium-ion containing flux

Here we show that carbon fiber (CF) reinforced aluminum (Al) matrix composite with homogenously dispersed (57 ± 11 vol.%) carbon fibers can be fabricated without any external pressure, although usually some external pressure is needed to fabricate such composites due to their non-wetting character. CFs were transferred into liquid Al using a special flux (molten salt), containing K2TiF6 dissolved in NaCl–KCl. This flux ensures the removal of oxides from the interfaces and the formation of a wettable TiC layer at the interfaces. The oxide-free and in situ TiC-coated CF showed perfect wettability by the de-oxidized liquid Al under the same flux, and thus the composite was formed in a spontaneous way, i.e. without applying any external pressure or mixing.