• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 1997

Developing a salt core for squeeze casting process, two different salt cores(pure salt core and mixed salt core) were fabricated and investigated. Pure salt core was composed of 100% NaCl and mixed salt core was made by mixtures of NaCl with MgO(1%), $Na_2B_4O_7$(2%), and talc(1%) as a binder or a strengthening agent. Salt cores were compacted to various theoretical density, heat treated, and then squeeze-cast with molten Al alloy(AC8A). The compression strength of salt cores were measured and the squeeze-cast products were examined for shape retention, infiltration of molten metal into the cores, and microstructures. The shape of salt core compacted at above 75% of the theoretical density was maintained stably. The higher theoretical density of salt cores gave higher compression strength, and the compression strength of mixed salt core was higher than that of pure salt core. Namely at 90% theoretical density, the compression strength of mixed salt core was $6.3 kg/mm^2$, compared to $4.6 kgmm^2$ for pure salt core. At a squeeze casting pressure of $1000 kg/cm^2$, molten Al alloy was infiltrated into pure salt core of under 85% of the theoretical density. At squeeze casting pressure of $1000 kg/cm^2$, only mixed salt core above 90% of the theoretical density were valid, but the shape of the core was altered in the case of pure salt core at 90% of theoretical density. A key factor for developing a salt core for squeeze casting process was estimated as the ultimate compressive strength of salt core.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2018

Low pressure casting process for unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced aluminum (UD-CF/Al) composites which is an infiltration route of molten Al into porous UD-CF preform has been a cost-effective way to obtain metal matrix composites (MMCs) but, easy to cause non-uniform fiber distribution as CF clustering. Such clustered CFs have been a problem to decrease the density and thermal conductivity (TC) of composites, due to the existence of pores in the clustered area. To obtain high thermal performance composites for heat-sink application, the relationship between fiber distribution and porosity has to be clearly investigated. In this study, the CF distribution was evaluated with quantification approach by using two-dimensional spatial distribution method as local number 2-dimension (LN2D) analysis. Note that the CFs distribution in composites sensitively changed by sizes of Cu bridging particles between the CFs added in the UD-CF preform fabrication stage, and influenced on only $LN2D_{var}$ values.