The thermal expansion behavior of unidirectional SiC fiber-reinforced Cu–matrix composites

Thermal expansion characteristics of unidirectional SiC fiber-reinforced Cu–matrix composites with or without Ti6Al4V as adhesion promoters were investigated in the temperature range 30–550 °C. The results indicate that the fiber/matrix interfacial bonding strength has significant influence on the longitudinal thermal expansion. The composites with Ti6Al4V have excellent thermophysical properties as Ti6Al4V can effectively improve the interfacial bonding strength. The transverse coefficients of thermal expansion of the two composites are close to that of pure Cu.