A modified Bridgman directional solidification technique was used to prepare Fe-Al-Ta eutectic in situ composites at different growth rates ranging from 6 to 80 μm/s. The directionally solidified FeAl-Ta eutectic composites are composed of two phases: Fe（Al,Ta） matrix phase, and Fe2 Ta（Al） Laves phase. Solidification microstructure is affected by solidification rate. Microstructure of the Fe-Al-Ta eutectic alloy grown at 6.0 μm/s is broken-lamellar eutectic. Eutectic colonies are formed with the increase of the solidification rate. Microstructures are mainly composed of the lamellar or fibrous eutectic at the center of the colony and coarse lamellar eutectic zone at the boundary. Meanwhile, the inter-lamellar spacing（or the inter-rod spacing） is decreased. The spacing adjustments are also observed in Fe-Al-Ta eutectic alloy. The solid/liquid interface evolves from planar interface to shallow cellular interface, then to deep cellular, and finally to shallow cellular planar with the increase of the solidification rate.
CUI ChunjuanWANG SongyuanYANG MengSU HaijunWEN YagangWANG PeiREN Chiqiang
Fe-Al-Ta eutectic composites were obtained by a modified Bridgman directional solidification technique at different solidification rates.Solidification microstructure transforms from regular eutectic to eutectic colony with the increase of the solidification rate.The solid/liquid interface of Fe-Al-Ta eutectic evolves from planar interface to cellular interface with the increase of the solidification rate.In addition,threepoint bending method was adopted to study the room-temperature fracture toughness of the as-cast Fe-Al-Ta eutectic alloy and the Fe-Al-Ta eutectic composites.Moreover,the fracture morphologies,the crack propagation path and the strengthening mechanism of Fe-Al-Ta eutectic were discussed.
Chunjuan CuiCong WangPei WangWei LiuYuanyuan LaiLi DengHaijun Su
In this study NieN i3 Si eutectic in situ composites are obtained by Bridgman directional solidification technique when the solidification rate varies from 6.0 mm/s to 40.0 mm/s. At the low solidification rates the lamellar spacing is decreased with increasing the solidification rate. When the solidification rate is higher than 25 mm/s, the lamellar spacing tends to be increased, because the higher undercooling makes the mass transport less effective. The adjustments of lamellar spacing are also observed during the directional solidification process, which is consistent with the minimum undercooling criterion. Moreover, the transitions from planar interface to cellular, then to dendritic interface, and finally to cellular interface morphologies with increasing velocity are observed by sudden quenching when the crystal growth tends to be stable.
