Effect of a transverse magnetic field on solidification morphology and microstructures of pure Sn and Sn–15 wt% Pb alloys grown by a Czochralski method

Abstract

The pure Sn and Sn–15wt% Pb alloys were grown by a Czochralski method under various magnetic flux densities in this paper. The influence of thermoelectric magnetic (TEM) flows and buoyancy flows on solidification morphology, macrosegregation and microstructures had been investigated experimentally, and the velocity magnitude of TEM flows and buoyancy flows had been studied by 3D numerical simulations. The experimental results indicate that the modification of solidification morphology and microstructures is attributed to the unidirectional Pb solutes transport caused by TEM flows. The 3D numerical simulations results show that the buoyancy flows dominate the flows in the melt under a weak transverse magnetic field (B≤0.43T), and the unidirectional TEM flows at the vicinity of solid–liquid interface become the dominant flows in the melt with the increase of magnetic field. The interaction of TEM flows and buoyancy flows affecting solidification morphology and microstructures during directional solidification of alloys by the Czochralski method under various magnetic flux densities has been discussed and a corresponding simple evolution mechanism of dendritic growth has been proposed.