Wettability of carbon and silicon caramics induced by their alloying with Ti, Zr, and Cu elements using high intensity pulsed plasma beams

Ceramics materials, such as: oxides, nitrides, borides, carbides and carbon are widely used in modern constructions and devices. Their advantages are: low density, high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance at high temperature and favourable performance/weight relationship. However, an application of these materials in joints or in composites with metals is very difficult, because usually the ceramics are non-wettable by liquid metals.
In the present work, we used high intensity plasma pulses technique for the preparation of carbon and silicon carbide surface before the wetting process by liquid copper. The Ti, Zr and Cu plasma was applied to induce the wettability.
The experiments were preceded by thermodynamical considerations. The prepared samples were investigated by sessile-drop tests, SEM observations, EPMA, GXRD analysis and RBS measurements.
The results of Ti and Zr plasma modifications were beneficial and similar to each other. The measured contact angles were below 90°. The results of Cu plasma were unfavorable with contact angles close to 180°.