Particle Pushing during Solidification of Metals and Alloys

During the solidification of a liquid containing dispersed second phase particles, particles are either rejected or engulfed by the advancing solid-liquid interface. Theories have been proposed on the mechanisms on particle pushing by a freezing front. However, the critical growth velocities predicted are much smaller than actually found experimentally. This article evaluates mechanisms on particle pushing. A specially selected alloy system, an Al-Ti-B master alloy, was chosen to evaluate particle pushing under various solidification conditions. The final distribution of the particles in ingots was examined. It is concluded that most of the particles are pushed by the dendritic solid liquid interface under cooling conditions varying a few orders of magnitude. Mechanical disturbance, such as fluid flow in the remaining liquid of the mushy zone, promotes particle pushing by the growing solid. Keywords: Particle pushing, solidification, Aluminum alloys, and metal-matrix composites

In Situ Particle Layer Formation in a Al-Mn-Si Ternary Eutectic Alloy: Ground Reference and Microgravity Experiments

A special type of divorced eutectic growth mode (symbiotic growth) in a ternary Al-Mn-Si alloy, triggered by addition of titanium boride (TiB2) has been studied under both ground and microgravity conditions. During directional solidification, α (AlMnSi) particles nucleate ahead of the planar solidification front and are pushed and later engulfed by the interface forming a banded particle layer structure. The presence of fine titanium boride particles (clusters) in front of the growing α (AlMnSi) particles makes the interaction between the intermetallic α (AlMnSi) particles and solidification front much more complex than most proposed models for particle/interface interactions. Microgravity experiments can eliminate the gravity related effects and thus provide an opportunity to better understand the formation mechanism of symbiotic growth. In this study, hypoeutectic Al-1Mn-3Si alloys with addition of 0.33 wt% TiB2 were directionally solidified in ESA Solidification and Quenching Furnace (SQF) on board of the International Space Station (ISS). The ground experiment was conducted in a replica of this furnace prior to the microgravity experiments. Non-destructive X-ray tomography and its 3D reconstruction software was used to characterize the particles and their distribution. Comparison between ground and microgravity experiment results is presented. The particle pushing and engulfment of symbiotic growth is discussed based on a particle pushing and engulfment model.

Effect of Travelling Magnetic Fields on the Dendritic Microstructure of AlSi and AlSiMn

The microstructure formation of AlSi alloys is known to be sensitive to specific solidification conditions. In particular, small fractions of heavier alloying atoms can lead to the precipitation of intermetallic phases. Moreover, the mainly dendritic structure is also sensitive to fluid flow in the melt. These two factors and their mutual influence is examined in this paper. The solidification of AlSi7 and AlSi7Mn1 samples was studied while inducing fluid flow by a traveling magnetic field (TMF) of approximately 5 mT strength, traveling up or down the sample axis. All samples were molten and directionally solidified at constant solidification velocities between 0.03 and 0.24 mm/s. The application of two separate heaters allowed the fixation of constant temperature gradients in the solid and liquid parts of the samples, the use of a transparent silica aerogel crucible permitted optical verification of the solidification velocity. Cross sections were cut from the processed samples and the microstructure analyzed using light microscopy and SEM-EDX. From these images, values for the primary, secondary and tertiary dendrite arm spacing were retrieved. Results are presented which show a clear effect of the TMF-induced fluid flow on the binary samples, but almost none for the ternary alloy. Finally, an explanation proposing a process of precipitate particle pushing is given.

The anisotropic morphology of silver particles in Y-123/Y-24Nb1/Ag nanocomposite bulk high-temperature superconductors

Y2Ba4CuNbO12 (Y-24Nb1) and silver (Ag) are recognized as potential candidates for improving both flux pinning and the mechanical properties of bulk rare earth (RE)–Ba–Cu–O [(RE)BCO] high-temperature superconductors (HTS). Recent attempts to add Ag2O to superconducting Y-123/Y2Ba4CuNbO12 composites, however, have produced a highly anisotropic morphology of Ag particles in samples grown by top-seeded melt growth (TSMG). This morphology has been attributed to strong particle pushing effects due to the presence of Y-24Nb1 nanoparticles in the composite microstructure. An investigation of the formation of anisotropic Ag particles in the YBCO bulk microstructure indicates that these pushing effects generate different morphological microstructural zones in the composite. These include a zone free of inclusions other than acicular Ag particles, a zone of segregated additives (i.e., Y-24Nb1, Y-211, and Ag), and a zone containing fine Ag and other particles distributed uniformly throughout the local microstructure. The particle pushing/trapping theory has been used to explain these extraordinary features of the distribution of Ag inclusions. The superconducting and mechanical properties of samples containing very fine silver inclusions are also discussed briefly.