Simulation of solidification process for composite micro-region with incomplete wetting of reinforcing particle

The article contains solidification kinetics comparison for micro-regions containing hypothetical sphere particle with surface wetted in 100 and 90% of its area. Investigated material was the AlSi-SiCp composite with the same content of reinforcement (10%) for both cases. The composite was examined for temperature distribution, thermal gradient and solidification rate. For both components - matrix and reinforcement - the initial temperature was assumed as T-R = T-M = 993 K. Regions of structural discontinuity were assumed to be spherical gas spaces with minimal thickness distributed uniformly on sphere particle surface. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.