Figure 7.

Self-repair mechanisms in Al₂O₃/SiC composites and the influence of healing activator networks. (a) Oxygen infiltration occurs on cracked surfaces, initiating the oxidation of SiC to SiO₂, termed the inflammation stage. (b) Al₂O₃ and M_xO_y dissolve into SiO₂, creating a mechanically frail, low-viscosity supercooled melt that effectively occupies uneven gaps, referred to as the repair stage. (c) Robust crystals begin to nucleate and expand within the supercooled melt, marking the remodeling stage [101] (Figure is available in Open Access).