Reinforced cast metals - Part I Solidification microstructure

The solidification process in fibre-and particle-reinforced metals is modified due to solute screening, thermal shielding, heterogeneous nucleation, fluid damping, particle pushing and morphological instabilities at the liquid-solid-fibre boundary. These factors lead to considerable variations in grain size, grain morphology, microsegregation and macrosegregation, and reinforcement distribution in the matrix. This article examines the roles of the above factors in the evolution of solidification microstructure in composites under controlled growth as well as under normal casting conditions. (C) 1998 Chapman & Hall.