Wetting of hot-pressed β-SiC by liquid aluminum was studied by sessile drop method under 1×10
5Pa in He-3vol% H
2 and in a vacuum of 1×10
-3Pa. The contact angle (θ) varies during holding at constant temperature. In the wetting in He-H
2, four stages are observed: (I) decrease in θ immediately after dropping, (II) Initial stational wetting with constant θ, (III) spreading of aluminum on SiC substrate with decrease in θ and (IV) stational wetting with constant θ. When the interfacial reaction occurs between SiC and the drop, two interfacial energies, γ
LV and γ
SL decrease, and hence θ decreases at the stage III. In the wetting in a vacuum, three stages are observed: (I') initial stational wetting, (II') decrement of θ, and (III') stational wetting. The reaction occurrs at the stage I', while the decrement of θ at the stage II', is caused by evaporation of aluminum. θ decreases with increasing temperature, and a significantly abrupt decrement of θ is found at a certain temperature in each atmosphere. This phenomenon is caused by the interfacial reaction between SiC and aluminum. In particular, this temperature in a vacuum is lower than that in He-H
2 due to evaporation of aluminum.
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