Nucleation and Growth in the Equiaxed Zone of Metal Matrix Composites

ALICIA ESTHER ARES; CARLOS ENRIQUE SCHVEZOV

Orlando

Simposio; Materials Processing Fundamentals: Casting, Solidification, and Steel Processing; 2015

TMS

In the present work it was observed the nucleation and growth of grains in the equiaxed zone of metal matrix composites (MMCs) samples directionally solidified. In order to do so, first, it was defined the difference between the real temperature at a given instant, which it is used in the analysis, its variation and furthermore, the variation in the solid fraction with time between the beginning and the end of solidification. It was determined a growth law assuming a lineal variation of equiaxed grain radius as a function of time, and also, it was expressed a law of grain density as a function of time, considering the presence of CSi and Al2O3 particles in the matrix. Finally, the results obtained were validated with measured values of grain density at each position of the thermocouples in the equiaxed zone of the solidified samples.