NUMERICAL-SOLUTION TO A MOVING BOUNDARY-PROBLEM IN A COMPOSITE MEDIUM

Heat transfer analysis has been done for the movement of the solidific ation front in the presence of cylindrical reinforcements, including g raphite, alumina, iron, and copper in an aluminum-silicon alloy base a nd lead-base composites. The study showed that for reinforcements with lower thermal conductivity than the melt, the rate of movement of the interface was different at different locations of reinforcement. The rate of movement of the interface is strongly dependent on the thermal conductivity ratio of reinforcement to melt. The analysis indicated t hat the reinforcements of lower thermal conductivity remain at higher temperature than the surrounding melt during solidification, whereas t he reinforcements of high thermal conductivity remain at a lower tempe rature.