Abstract:An infiltration measurement device was developed to research the infiltration process of molten AZ91D magnesium alloy into the Al₂O₃ short fibre preform. The variation of relationship between the heights of measuring points and the time for molten alloy to reach the measuring points was illustrated. The effect of infiltration process parameters on the infiltration front was analyzed. It is found that pressure and pouring temperature are the most important factors which affect the infiltration velocity and composite quality. Furthermore, considering the influence of temperature field, an infiltration model of molten AZ91D into the short fibre preform was constructed on the basis of experimental results and Darcy’s Law. The analysis shows that the results predicted by this model are consistent with the experimental results.

Key words: infiltration measurement; infiltration front; temperature field; infiltration model