Numerical modeling of liquid-phase infiltration in the process of sintering ceramic composites

The paper presents a numerical model for infiltration of porous preforms of ceramic materials in the process of sintering. The mathematical model of infiltration is based on the Richards equation and Van Genuchten formulas describing permeability properties of the porous structure and the infiltrant. A finite-element method and stable implicit finite-difference time scheme are applied for discretization of the Richards equation. Based on the outcome of solving test problems, a comparison of the numerical results with the results obtained by other researchers and with the experimental data, the numerical model has been proved adequate. The paper provides some findings of computer modeling of infiltration of liquid silicon into porous silicon carbide preforms of various geometries and dimensions.