HYDRODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF LIQUID INFILTRATION OF UNIDIRECTIONAL FIBER ARRAYS BY SQUEEZE CASTING

The formation mechanism of non-infiltration defects by liquid metal in filtration of a unidirectional continuous fibre array has been mathema tically analysed from the viewpoint of hydrodynamics. The relations be tween the infiltration speed, fibre diameter, fibre volume fraction, p hysical properties of metal melt and externally applied squeeze pressu re needed to maintain a constant infiltration speed were determined. T he theoretical results are applied to analyse the infiltration process of practical unidirectional continuous fibre arrays and the formation of the macro and micro non-infiltration defects commonly present in c omposites.