A CONTINUUM THEORY FOR THE THERMOMECHANICS OF SOLIDIFICATION

A general theory for the phenomenon of solidification is presented in which the coupling between the thermal and kinematical fields is fully taken into account. The resulting model describes the liquid region a s an ordinary Newtonian liquid and the solid phase as an elastic mater ial. In the case of multi-component solidification it allows for the e xistence of a mixed region separating the pure phases whose behavior i s modeled as a non-linear viscoelastic material. After a preliminary a nalysis of the jump conditions across the singular surface separating the two phases, the strong interdependence between the thermomechanica l held, the geometry of the singular surface and the freezing temperat ure theta(f) is examined in detail. A simple one-dimensional problem ( Boussinesq problem) has been discussed to show how only a dynamical th eory can predict with reasonable accuracy the final shape of the solid . Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.