Application of interface demarcation technique under solidification of Bi 1%Sb alloy containing ZrO sub 2 particles

The distribution of insoluble particles in a metal casting primarily depends on interaction of the particles with the solid liquid interface. During solidification the growing interface can either engulf or push the particles up to a certain distance. During solidification it is difficult to follow this process. There are still questions on how the solid liquid interface interacts with the reinforcing particles. This process can be monitored by the interface demarcation technique. By utilizing this technique not only the effect of inclusions but also the crystallization parameters can be accurately determined. This paper primary focuses on the development of the interface demarcation technique on Bismuth alloys and gives the first results for the Bismuth matrix ZrO2 particle reinforced composite.