Improving the wettability between liquid Cu and carbon/carbon composite by addition of Ti

The effect of Ti addition on improving the wettability between liquid Cu and carbon/carbon composite was studied by the sessile drop method. The contact angle of a Cu-10 wt%Ti drop on the carbon/carbon composite at 1300 °C for 60 min was measured to be ∼70°, which was less than that of a Cu drop on the composite. TiC was formed at the interface between the drop and substrate by reaction. A higher Ti concentration in the drop near the interface and a copper-rich zone at C/TiC interface were found, thus indicating that the mechanism of improving the wettability by Ti addition was supposed be the higher Ti concentration in the liquid near the interface between liquid Cu and C which resulted in the decrease of interface energy. (paper)