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Capillarity in isothermal infiltration of alumina fiber preforms with aluminum

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Abstract

Models derived in petroleum engineering and soil science for flow of two immiscible fluids in a porous medium are extended to the infiltration of ceramic preforms by a liquid metal. SAFFIL alumina fiber preforms are infiltrated with an aluminum matrix in a series of interrupted unidirectional and isothermal experiments at various low applied pressures, to measure profiles of the volume fraction of metal along the length of the preforms. Comparison of experimental data with theory reveals the existence of a pressure-dependent incubation time for wetting of the alumina preforms by molten aluminum at 973 K. If this incubation time is taken into account, experimental curves of metal distribution are well predicted by theory, confirming the validity of the models after initiation of flow.

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Abbreviations

g:

gravitational acceleration (ms-2)

k :

permeability of the saturated medium (m2)

k c :

effective permeability (m2)

k r :

relative permeability of the metal phase (no unit, 0 <k r < 1)

P :

local pressure difference between nonwetting and wetting fluids (Pa)

P b :

bubbling pressure (Pa)

r f :

fiber radius (m)

S eff :

effective saturation in wetting phase

t :

time (s)

T :

temperature (K)

V f :

local fiber volume fraction

V m o :

local metal volume fraction

m :

metal volume fraction at ψ = 0

V oexp m :

metal volume fraction at ψ= 0,i.e., x = 0, measured on experimental samples

V oth m :

metal volume fraction at ψ= 0, calculated using Eq. [3] and the value of the applied pressure

vo :

superficial velocity of the infiltrating metal (ms-1)

V p :

local pore volume fraction

x :

position along the preform axis (m)

ΔV :

volume element

λ:

pore size distribution index

μ:

metal viscosity (Pa ⋅ s)

ψ:

x/√t, Boltzman transformation parameter (ms-1/2)

π:

metal density (kg/m3)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 02139, Cambridge, MA

    V. J. Michaud (Postdoctoral Associate) & A. Mortensen (Associate Professor)

  2. Altran Materials Engineering Inc., 02110, Boston, MA

    L. M. Compton (Materials Engineer)

Authors
  1. V. J. Michaud
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  2. L. M. Compton
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  3. A. Mortensen
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Additional information

Formerly Undergraduate Student, Department of Materials Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

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Michaud, V.J., Compton, L.M. & Mortensen, A. Capillarity in isothermal infiltration of alumina fiber preforms with aluminum. Metall Mater Trans A 25, 2145–2152 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652315

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