Effect of Continuous-distribution Inter-phase on the Thermal Conductivity of SiCp/Al Composites by Numerical Simulation Method

doi:10.15541/jim20150150

Abstract

Abstract:

Thermal conductivity of SiC particles-reinforced Al matrix (SiC_p/Al) composites was simulated by finite element method (FEM), in which the models of SiC particles coated with inter-phase in the aluminum matrix was established. The effects of inter-phase types and thickness on the thermal conductivity of composites were investigated. The results show that, when the inter-phase combines ideally with SiC and Al which distributes continuously on the surface of SiC_p, the thermal conductivity of composites inter-phase acts like a role of iner-layer. With increase of thermal conductivity of inter-layer, the thermal conductivity of the composites increases quickly at first and slowly afferwards. The variation of thermal conductivity of the composites depends on the ratio of inter-layer thickness (t) to the SiC_p diameter (a). When the t/a value is very small or very large, the variation of the thermal conductivity is very small, while t/a is small, the variation of thermal conductivity of the composites is related to thermal conductivity of the inter-layer.

Key words: SiCp/Al composites, finite element method, inter-phase, thermal conductivity

CLC Number:

TB333

ZOU Ai-Hua, ZHOU Xian-Liang, HUA Xiao-Zhen, WU Kai-Yang. Effect of Continuous-distribution Inter-phase on the Thermal Conductivity of SiC_p/Al Composites by Numerical Simulation Method[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2015, 30(12): 1283-1290.

Figures/Tables 13

Fig. 1 SEM morphology and EDS analysis of SiC particles with different pre-treatments. (a) after pickling , (b, d) electroless Ni deposition, (c, e) electroless Cu deposition

Fig. 2 Optical microstructures of the composites prepared from SiC particles coated with (a) Ni and (b) Cu

Fig. 3 Model of the composites with the particles coated by the inter-phase completely

Fig. 4 Schematic diagram of meshing in the model of the composites

Table 1 Model of the composites, the simulated parameters and the corresponding values

Model	Parameter	Value of parameter
Four particles coated by inter-phase completely	Type of inter-phase	1.4(SiO₂); 5.9(MgAl₂O₄); 10, 50, 90(Ni); …, 290, 384(Cu)
Four particles coated by inter-phase completely	Thickness of inter-phase	0.5, 1.0, 1.5, …, 4.5 μm

Fig. 5 Variation in thermal conductivity of the composites with intrinsic thermal conductivity of different inter-phase

Fig. 6 Heat flux density vector for the composites with different intrinsic thermal conductivity of inter-phase. (a) 10 W/(m·K); (b) 50 W/(m·K)

Fig. 7 Heat flux distribution of the composites with the particles coated by 3.5 μm SiO2

Fig. 8 Variation in the ratio of thermal conductivity of the composites (kc) to the matrix (km) with the ratio of thermal conductivity of the particles (kp) to the matrix (km)

Fig. 9 Variation in thermal conductivity of the composites with different thickness of inter-phase

Fig. 10 Heat flux of the composites with the coated particles. (a) 3.5 μm Ni; (b) 1.5 μm Cu

Table 2 Value of thermal conductivity of the composites with different thickness of inter-phase when varying in t/a and intrinsic thermal conductivity of inter-phase

t/a	t/μm	K_c/(W·m^-1·K^-1)
t/a	t/μm	K_j1=1.4 (W·m^-1·K^-1)	K_j2=384 (W·m^-1·K^-1)
1: 300	0.5	153.53	153.59
1: 300	3.5	153.20	154.43
1: 30	0.5	123.92	167.60
1: 30	3.5	73.28	170.41
1: 3	0.5	62.20	204.29
1: 3	3.5	61.80	204.65

Table 3 Comparison of the experimental values with the simulated values for thermal conductivity of SiCp/Al composites

SiC particle			Experimented/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	Simulated/(W·m^-1·K^-1)
Surface state	Diameter/μm	Volume fraction/%	Experimented/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	Simulated/(W·m^-1·K^-1)
After pickling	90	50	161.83	162.54
Ni-coated (3.5μm)	90	50	152.80	156.66
Cu-coated (3.5μm)	90	50	168.21	170.41

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