The solidification of two-phase heterogeneous materials: Theory versus experiment

• 来源期刊: 中国科学E辑（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2009,（6）
• 页码范围: 1688-1697
• 页数: 10页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1007/s11431-008-0327-y

摘要

The solidification behavior of two-phase heterogeneous materials such as close-celled aluminum foams was analytically studied. The proposed analytical model can precisely predict the location of solidification front as well as the full solidification time for a two-phase heterogeneous material composed of aluminum melt and non-conducting air pores. Experiments using distilled water simulating the aluminum melt to be solidified (frozen) were subsequently conducted to validate the analytical model for two selected porosities (ε), ε=0 and 0.5. Full numerical simulations with the method of finite difference were also performed to examine the influence of pore shape on solidification. The remarkable agreement between theory and experiment suggests that the delay of solidification in the two-phase heterogeneous material is mainly caused by the reduction of bulk thermal conductivity due to the presence of pores, as this is the sole mechanism accounted for by the analytical model for solidification in a porous medium.