Effect of Convection on the Solidification Microstructure of Hyper-Peritectic Systems

Abstract

This study has examined the microstructural development in the Bridgman type directional solidification of hyper-peritectic Sn-Cd alloys, and the temperature and flow field have been numerically simulated to see if there is any change induced by convection. The directional solidification experiments carried out in quartz tubes with inside diameters of 0.4∼6mm showed that the resulting microstructures are clearly dependent on the size of tube diameters. The bigger ampoules where the effect of convection is highly expected produced saw-like structures resulting from the primary and peritectic phase growing together at a planar solid-liquid front, with the former being surrounded by the latter. In the smaller ampoules, where the effect of convection is expected low however, the saw structure disappears, and as is understood from the theoretical prediction based on diffusion-controlled solidification the initial growth of the primary phase is replaced by the nucleation of the peritectic phase whose growth continues to the end of the solidification.