Effect of SiCP content on cooling curve characteristics and solidification kinetics of Al-Si/SiCp cast composites

The purpose of this work was to explore the effect of the presence of different quantities of SiCp on the cooling curve characteristics, latent heat released and solidification kinetics, associated with the cooling and solidification of Al-Si/SiCP composites produced by the stir casting process. An increase in SiCp content in A356/SiCp metal matrix composites produces a shortening of the associated cooling curve and an increase in the. eutectic growth temperature with respect to the monolithic metal matrix alloy, cooled under the same experimental conditions. The shortening of the cooling curves could be explained as a result of the measured decrease in the amount of latent heat released during solidification. The increase in the maximum eutectic growth temperature is apparently due to the nucleation of eutectic silicon by SiCP and also to the change in the growth kinetics and morphology of the eutectic Si from fibrous to platelike. (C) 2003 W. S. Maney Son Ltd.