SEDL / STP / STP1165-EB / STP25115S

Interpreting Solidification Phenomena and Microstructural Evolution in Metals Through the Use of Transparent Model Alloy Systems

Grugel, RN
Research assistant professor, Vanderbilt UniversityEngineering, Center for Microgravity Research and Applications, Nashville, TN

Trivedi, R
Senior scientist and Anson Marston distinguished professor in Engineering, Ames LaboratoryIowa State University, Ames, IA

Pages: 21    Published: Jan 1993

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Abstract

It is well established that the material properties of alloys are directly related to the scale and distribution of their microstructural constituents. The advances and applications of metallographic techniques for the examination of solidified microstructures have proven invaluable in ascertaining these structure-property relationships. Unfortunately, many aspects of microstructural evolution can only be inferred from a post-solidification examination. The use of transparent compounds that freeze in a manner analogous to metals circumvents this problem by allowing direct and continual observation of solidification events during both transient and steady-state growth. This paper discusses the role of these compounds in promoting understanding of solidification phenomena. Examples of dendritic, eutectic, and monotectic microstructural development, pertinent to theory and practice, are presented and compared with their metal counterparts.