EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) reinforced with nanoparticles are becoming increasingly important in the field of foundry industry in order to increase the mechanical properties of light weight metals. Motion and distribution of nanoparticles during solidification play a dominant role in defining the quality of final cast products. This requires modelling and simulation to bridge the gap between the nano-, micro- and mesoscale ranges.
Based on a developed Lagrangian framework, this study examines the modelling and simulation of nanoparticle tracking in solidification processes. Thermophoretic and Brownian forces, which play a dominant role for the motion of nanoparticles, were adapted to analyse the motion behaviour and the distribution of nanoparticles in the mushy zone of metal melt. Phenomenon at the interface of phase change during solidification process was captured. Strategies to simulate nanoparticle tracking in mushy zone were proposed. Verifications were carried out to investigate the motion behaviour using benchmark cases. The developed model was used to run light weight metal matrix composites casting simulations.