Effect of sintering time on the bending strength and CTE of SiC/Al–35Si composite

•SiC/Al–35Si composite were prepared using a novel addition method of silicon particles.•Effect of sintering time on the properties of composite was analyzed.•Precipitated silicon phase has a significant effect on the bending strength and CTE.•SiC/Al–35Si composite with a good combination of bending strength and CTE were obtained.

SiC/Al–35Si composite were prepared using a novel addition method of silicon particles. The effects of sintering time on the bending strength and CTE of the composite were investigated. The results showed that the optimal properties could be obtained when sintering time is 4 h. The prolongation of the sintering time increased the size of silicon phase and α-Al phase without solution strengthening of silicon, resulting in the increase of CTE. However, the increase of silicon phase size within a certain scope is beneficial to load transfer due to the formation of less pores and good bond interfaces. The bending strength first increases up to the maximum value and then trends to decrease. Overall, SiC/Al–35Si composite has a good combination of bending strength and CTE.