Abstract

A new process for infiltrating fibrous pre-forms with liquid metal is presented which eliminates the need for pressurization of the metal or pre-form chemical pretreatment. The molten matrix material and preform are held in a cermic crucible so that the melt forms an annulus around the pre-form. These are then subjected to an intense high frequency magnetic pulse. The eddy currents induced in the melt interact with the magnetic pulse to propel the metal into the pre-form at a high speed, infiltrating the preform. The infiltration length is governed by the nature and number of discharges. Work in progress on modeling the process, with the aim of predicting the infiltration produced by discharges of known characteristics, is described. A finite difference solution is used to solve the governing electromagnetic field equations. The predicted electromagnetic field is then used together with Ergun's equation to calculate the infiltration distance. Preliminary experimental results are presented as well, in which infiltrations in excess of 2 mm have been achieved on Saffil(TM) pre-forms with aluminum as the infiltrating matrix.

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