Study on Process Parameters of Liquid–Solid Infiltration Extrusion of Continuous Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites

This study focuses on the influence of synergistic control of process parameter selection during the preparation of 45 pct Vol. carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix (CF/Al) composites on the quality and properties of the composites. Effects of key process parameters—pouring temperature, preheating temperature, and infiltration pressure—on infiltration saturation (λ, pct) of CF/Al composites were systematically investigated via orthogonal experimental design. Through data fitting analysis, a regression model for λ was successfully constructed, revealing matching law and optimal combination of process parameters. The results show that preheating temperature has the most significant effect on λ, followed by pouring temperature, while the effect of infiltration pressure is relatively small. The optimized parameters are preheating temperature of 558.78 °C, pouring temperature of 747.11 °C, and infiltration pressure of 48.22 MPa, under which λ reaches 97 pct and tensile strength is 195 ± 6.6 MPa. Additionally, regions with different λ can be intuitively differentiated by plotting forming process maps. Finally, interfacial thermal residual stress minimizes when interfacial layer thickness is about 1 μm. This study provides an important basis for optimizing CF/Al composite preparation process.