Microstructure Analysis of Al-7 wt%Si Alloy Solidified on Earth Compared to Similar Experiments in Microgravity: An Update | Chapter 3 | Effect of Microgravity and Magnetic Steering on the Melt Flow and the Microstructure of Solidified Alloys

 This chapter highlights a comparative overview of the grain structure (especial the CET) and the type of the coarsening process of the secondary dendrite arm (especially the kinetic constant n) of the samples solidified in space and the Earth to get information on the effect of buoyancy flow. During ground-based solidification, buoyancy flow can develop by the density difference in the hypoeutectic type of the alloy, such as Al-7 wt% Si alloy. Buoyancy flow can affect the thermal field, solute distribution in the melt, and the position and amount of the new grains. Under microgravity conditions, natural convection does not exist or is strongly damped due to the absence of the buoyancy force. Therefore, experiments in microgravity conditions provide unique benchmark data for pure diffusive solidification conditions. Compared to the results of the ground-based and microgravity ( µ g) experiments, it is possible to get information on the effect of gravity (buoyancy force). In the framework of the CETSOL project, four microgravity solidification experiments were performed on grain-refined (GF) and non-grain refined Al-7 wt% Si alloy onboard the International Space Station in the Materials Science Laboratory. Four ground-based (GB) experiments were performed under Earth -like conditions with the same (similar) solidification parameters in a vertical Bridgman-type furnace. A detailed analysis of the grain structure and amount of eutectic and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) for different process conditions is reported and compared with the results of the microgravity experiments. GB experiments showed that the microstructure was columnar in the samples that do not contain GF material or in case the solid/liquid (vSL front velocity was slow (0.02 mm/s)). In contrast, in the GF material sample, progressive columnar/equiaxed transition (PCET) was observed at vSL = 0.077 mm/s and GSL = 3.9 K/mm. The secondary (SDAS) dendrite arm spacing follows the well-known power law, SADS = K[ t0 ]1/3  where K is a constant, and t0 is the local solidification time for both GB and µg experiments. The experiments in microgravity conditions provide unique benchmark data for pure diffusive solidification conditions. Compared to the results of the ground-based and microgravity experiments, it is possible to get information on the effect of gravity (buoyancy force).

Author(s) Details:

András Roósz,
HUN REN- University of Miskolc, Materials Science Research Group, Hungary and Institute of Physical Metallurgy, Metal Forming, and Nanotechnology, University of Miskolc, Hungary.

Arnold Rónaföldi,
HUN REN- University of Miskolc, Materials Science Research Group, Hungary and Institute of Physical Metallurgy, Metal Forming, and Nanotechnology, University of Miskolc, Hungary.

Yuze Li,
School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710100, China.

Nathalie Mangelinck-Noël,
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IM2NP, 13013 Marseille, France.

Gerhard Zimmermann,
ACCESS e.V., Intzestrasse 5, D-52072, Aachen, Germany.

Henri Nguyen-Thi,
Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IM2NP, 13013 Marseille, France.

Mária Svéda,
HUN REN- University of Miskolc, Materials Science Research Group, Hungary.

Zsolt Veres,
HUN REN- University of Miskolc, Materials Science Research Group, Hungary and Institute of Physical Metallurgy, Metal Forming, and Nanotechnology, University of Miskolc, Hungary.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/EMMSMFMSA/article/view/13078