Wettability at the metal-ceramic interface is highly important for the development of modern composite materials. Poor wettability by metal melts restricts the use of alumina in protective metal matrix composite (MMC) coatings. In the present experimental study, the possibility to modify wetting properties of alumina by thermochemical surface boronizing was investigated. The results of SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS characterisation of surfaces revealed the formation of oxygen containing Al–B compounds identified as aluminium borates (Al18B4O33/Al4B2O9); no signs of non-oxide Al–B compounds were observed. The shape of the single splats deposited on the boronized alumina surface by the thermal spray and re-melted in the furnace revealed that significant wetting improvement by self-fluxing nickel alloy did not occur. However, the improvement of adhesion between the nickel/nickel alloy and Al2O3 surface was obtained due to formation of an intermediate layer consisting of B, O, Al and Si between the metal and ceramic surfaces at the presence of some silicon at the modified surfaces. The presented study demonstrates that the thermochemical boronizing of alumina in amorphous boron medium is a simple method to obtain a thin aluminium borate layer consisting of oriented nano-rod-like crystals, whose growing direction is predetermined by the orientation of the alumina grains’ faces at surface.
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