Intermetallic compound layer growth between solid iron and molten aluminium

The interaction between solid iron and liquid aluminium is studied by immersion tests. At first, the intermetallic layers formed at the solid–liquid interface and their growth mechanisms are characterized. The Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 phases are identified in the temperature range from 700 to 900°C, and their growth is found to be mainly controlled by a diffusion regime. Then, a theoretical approach of the phase growth based on the solutions of the diffusion equations is presented. Theory and experiment agree rather well.