Single metallic films meant to represent the cell walls in a liquid metallic foam are produced by pulling a molybdenum wire frame out of a molten aluminium alloy (680 °C) containing either SiC or TiB2 particles in a controlled atmosphere. The films drawn are kept liquid for up to 120 s and are studied in-situ via synchrotron X-ray radioscopy.
Due to phase contrast contributing to the images – which is common when using synchrotron light sources – the particles, their movements in the liquid as well as liquid drainage of the entire system can be detected. We found that mobile particles or particle clusters are sometimes suddenly stopped, whereas others don`t stop or resume their motion again. We identify global particle movements and show how the direction of particle trajectories is changed by gravity or capillary driven melt flow. Eventually, we even show the incipient rupture of a single film acquired with 1000 frames per second.
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