Fundamentals Of Dendritic Growth

Abstract

Dendritic growth is perhaps the most common form of solidification especially in metals and other systems that freeze with relatively low entropies of transformation. Dendritic or branched growth in alloys generates microsegregation as well as other internal defects in castings, ingots, and weldments. More subtle effects introduced by the complex dendritic microstructure in solidified materials include crystallographic texturing, hot cracking, suboptimal toughness, and reduced corrosion resistance. Moreover, the dendritic microstructure and its effects may be modified by subsequent heat treatments, but they are seldom fully “erased”. As such, the understanding and control of dendritic growth in solidification processing is crucial in order to achieve specific material properties in final products.