SOLIDIFICATION OF SIC PARTICULATE-REINFORCED ALUMINUM METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES

Solidification of SiC/Al particulate-reinforced composite was investig ated as a function of volume fraction of particles using the finite el ement method. The mushy zone effect during solidification was taken in to account in the model. Numerical results from the finite element ana lysis were compared with the analytical solutions using Neumann's meth od. Based on the study, it was found that numerical results for the un reinforced aluminum A357.0 overestimated solidification time as compar ed with the analytical solutions, which do not take the mushy zone eff ect into consideration. As compared with the unreinforced aluminum, co mposites have a lower solidification rate. Tn addition, at a lower vol ume fraction of particles, the effective thermal diffusivity of compos ite is the dominant factor in determining the solidification time, whe reas at a higher volume fraction, the initial thermal energy of compos ite is the dominant factor.