Dendrite Tip Radii in Directionally Solidified Pb-8.4-Atmospheric-Percent-Au

The cell/dendrite tip radii in directionally solidified Pb-8.4at.%Au have been investigated as a function of the growth speed and thermal gradient in the liquid at the tip. Dendrite growth models are not able to predict quantitatively the tip radii and tip compositions separately because of the occurrence of thermosolutal convection during growth. However, the relationship between the destabilizing solutal gradient, the stabilizing thermal gradient and the capillarity at the tip assumed using the \u27\u27marginal stability\u27\u27 criterion is supported by the experimental data

Macrosegregation in Directionally Solidified Pb-Sn Alloys

Thermosolutal convection in the dendritic mushy zone occurs during directional solidification of hypoeutectic lead tin alloys in a positive thermal gradient, with the melt on the top and the solid below. This results in macrosegregation along the length of the solidified samples. The extent of macrosegregation increases with increasing primary dendrite spacings for constant mushy zone length. For constant primary spacings, the macrosegregation increases with decreasing mushy zone length. Presence of convection reduces the primary dendrite spacings. However, convection in the interdendritic melt has significantly more influence on the spacings as compared with that in the overlying melt, which is caused by the solutal build up at the dendrite tips

A Mushy-Zone Rayleigh Number to Describe Interdendritic Convection During Directional Solidification of Hypoeutectic Pb-Sb and Pb-Sn Alloys

Based on measurements of the specific dendrite surface area (S-nu), fraction of interdendritic liquid (phi), and primary dendrite spacing (lambda(1)) on transverse sections in a range of directionally solidified hypoeutectic Pb-Sb and Pb-Sn alloys that were grown at thermal gradients varying from 10 to 197 K cm(-1) and growth speeds ranging from 2 to 157 mum s(-1), it is observed that S-nu = lambda(1)(-1) S*(-0.33) (3.38 - 3.29 phi + 8.85 phi(2)), where S* = D-l G(eff)/V m(1) C-o (k - 1)/k, with D-l being the solutal diffusivity in the melt, G(eff) being the effective thermal gradient, V being the growth speed, m(l) being the liquidus slope, C-o being the solute content of the melt, and k being the solute partition coefficient. Use of this relationship in defining the mushy-zone permeability yields an analytical Rayleigh number that can be used to describe the extent of interdendritic convection during directional solidification. An increasing Rayleigh number shows a strong correlation with the experimentally observed reduction in the primary dendrite spacing as compared with those predicted theoretically in the absence of convection

Time Dependence of Tip Morphology During Cellular Dendritic Arrayed Growth

Succinonitrile-1.9 wt pct acetone has been directionally solidified in 0.7 X 0.7-cm-square cross section pyrex ampoules in order to observe the cell/dendrite tip morphologies, not influenced by the \u27\u27wall effects,\u27\u27 which are present during growth in the generally used thin (about 200 mu m) crucibles. The tips do not maintain a steady-state shape, as is generally assumed. Instead, they fluctuate within a shape envelope. The extent of fluctuation increases with decreasing growth speed, as the micro structure changes from the dendritic to cellular. The influence of natural convection has been examined by comparing these morphologies with those grown, without convection, in the thin ampoules

Compressive Properties of Zone-Directionally Solidified β-NiAl and Its Off-Eutectic Alloys With Chromium and Tungsten

The ordered intermetallic compound β-NiAl and its pseudo-binary off-eutectic alloys with 1 at.% tungsten and 9.7 at.% chromium were directionally solidified (DS) in the ‘floating-zone’ mode, and tested for compressive strength and fracture behavior in the temperature range 300–800 K. The dual-phase structures created by the DS of ternary NiAl alloys led to improvements in both the compressive strength and the ductility. The room-temperature (300 K) 0.2% compressive yield strength (CYS) of DS NiAl(W) (623 MPa) is larger than the CYS of DS NiAl(Cr) (565 MPa) and DS NiAl (435 MPa). The CYS of the three alloys dropped with increasing test temperature, and at 800 K, the CYS values for the three materials were comparable (356, 315 and 344 MPa for NiAl, NiAl(W) and NiAl(Cr), respectively). All the DS alloys exhibited greater than near-zero ductility of polycrystalline β-NiAl at room-temperature, with the fracture strain being the largest for the DS NiAl(Cr) (16.6%), followed by DS NiAl(W) (9.8%) and DS NiAl (7.33%). The strength and ductility data and fractography of test specimens suggest that ductile-phase toughening and second-phase strengthening are responsible for the observed improvements in the ductility and strength of NiAl. Limited tensile tests on the DS NiAl and DS NiAl(Cr) indicate that the CYS is greater than the tensile yield strength

The Effect of Convection on Disorder in Primary Cellular and Dendritic Arrays

Directional solidification studies have been carried out to characterize the spatial disorder in the arrays of cells and dendrites. Different factors that cause array disorder are investigated experimentally and analyzed numerically. In addition to the disorder resulting from the fundamental selection of a range of primary spacings under given experimental conditions, a significant variation in primary spacings is shown to occur in bulk samples due to convection effects, especially at low growth velocities. The effect of convection on array disorder is examined through directional solidification studies in two different alloy systems, Pb-Sn and Al-Cu. A detailed analysis of the spacing distribution is carried out, which shows that the disorder in the spacing distribution is greater in the Al-Cu system than in Pb-Sn system. Numerical models are developed which show that fluid motion can occur in both these systems due to the negative axial density gradient or due the radial temperature gradient which is always present in Bridgman growth. The modes of convection have been found to be significantly different in these systems, due to the solute being heavier than the solvent in the Al-Cu system and lighter than it in the Pb-Sn system. The results of the model have been shown to explain experimental observations of higher disorder and greater solute segregation in a weakly convective Al-Cu system than those in a highly convective Pb-Sn system

Electrodeposition of Nickel Nanowires and Nanotubes Using Various Templates

Nickel nanotubes and nanowires are grown by galvanostatic electrodeposition in the pores of 1000, 100, and 15 nm polycarbonate as well as in anodised alumina membranes at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. The effects of pore size, porosity, electrodeposition time, effective current density, and pore aspect ratio are investigated. Nickel nanotube structures are obtained with 1000 nm pore size polycarbonate membrane without any prior treatment method. At the early stages of electrodeposition hollow nickel nanotubes are produced and nanotubes turn into nanowires at longer depositon times. As effective current density accounting for the membrane porosity decreases, the axial growth direction is favoured yielding nanowires rather than nanotubes. However, for smaller pore size polycarbonate membranes, nanowires are obtained even though effective current densities were higher. We believe that when the pore diameter is below a critical size, nanowires grow regardless of current density since narrow pores promote layer by layer growth of nanorods due to smaller surface area of the pore bottom compared to pore walls. Pore size has a dominant effect over effective current density in determining the structure of the fibres produced for small pores. Nickel nanowires are also obtained in the small pores of anodised alumina, which has higher aspect ratios. High aspect ratio membranes favour the fabrication of nanowires regardless of current density

Electrodeposition of Nickel Nanowires and Nanotubes Using Various Templates

Nickel nanotubes and nanowires are grown by galvanostatic electrodeposition in the pores of 1000, 100, and 15 nm polycarbonate as well as in anodised alumina membranes at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. The effects of pore size, porosity, electrodeposition time, effective current density, and pore aspect ratio are investigated. Nickel nanotube structures are obtained with 1000 nm pore size polycarbonate membrane without any prior treatment method. At the early stages of electrodeposition hollow nickel nanotubes are produced and nanotubes turn into nanowires at longer depositon times. As effective current density accounting for the membrane porosity decreases, the axial growth direction is favoured yielding nanowires rather than nanotubes. However, for smaller pore size polycarbonate membranes, nanowires are obtained even though effective current densities were higher. We believe that when the pore diameter is below a critical size, nanowires grow regardless of current density since narrow pores promote layer by layer growth of nanorods due to smaller surface area of the pore bottom compared to pore walls. Pore size has a dominant effect over effective current density in determining the structure of the fibres produced for small pores. Nickel nanowires are also obtained in the small pores of anodised alumina, which has higher aspect ratios. High aspect ratio membranes favour the fabrication of nanowires regardless of current density

Effect of Cross-Section-Change Induced Advective Flow on the Primary Dendrite Array Morphology of Hypoeutectic Pb-Sb Alloys During Directional Solidification

The morphology and distribution of primary dendrites have been examined in Pb-2.2, 5.8 and 10.8 wt. pct. Sb alloy samples directionally solidified (DSed) in ampoules shaped like an hour-glass to examine the influence of cross-section change induced advective flow on the cellular/dendritic interface. This sample design increases the advective flow of the melt towards the array tips, as the liquid-solid interface enters the neck of the ampoule, and then decreases it as the interface exits the neck. The warm solute-rich melt flowing towards the growth front suppresses the extent of side-branching, decreases the primary dendrite spacing, and increases the primary dendrite trunk diameter as observed in the Pb-5.8 and 10.8 Sb alloys. The flow appears to suppress the formation of cells. A cellular interface growing in the Pb-2.2Sb alloy became planar as the solidification front entered the neck, becoming cellular again as it exited the neck

Influence of Fabrication Technique on the Fiber Pushout Behavior in a Sapphire-Reinforced Nial Matrix Composite

Directional solidification (DS) of \u27\u27powder-cloth\u27\u27 (PC) processed sapphire-NiAl composites was carried out to examine the influence of fabrication technique on the fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength, measured using a fiber-pushout technique. The DS process replaced the fine, equiaxed NiAl grain structure of the PC composites with an oriented grain structure comprised of large columnar NiAl grains aligned parallel to the fiber axis, with fibers either completely engulfed within the NiAl grains or anchored at one to three grain boundaries. The load-displacement behavior during the pushout test exhibited an initial \u27\u27pseudoelastic\u27\u27 response, followed by an \u27\u27inelastic\u27\u27 response, and finally a \u27\u27frictional\u27\u27 sliding response. The fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength and the fracture behavior during fiber pushout were investigated using an interrupted pushout test and fractography, as functions of specimen thickness (240 to 730 mu m) and fabrication technique. The composites fabricated using the PC and the DS techniques had different matrix and interface structures and appreciably different interfacial shear strengths. In the DS composites, where the fiber-matrix interfaces were identical for all the fibers, the interfacial debond shear stresses were larger for the fibers embedded completely within the NiAl grains and smaller for the fibers anchored at a few grain boundaries. The matrix grain boundaries coincident on sapphire fibers were observed to be the preferred sites for crack formation and propagation. While the frictional sliding stress appeared to be independent of the fabrication technique, the interfacial debond shear stresses were larger for the DS composites compared to the PC composites. The study highlights the potential of the DS technique to grow single-crystal NiAl matrix composites reinforced with sapphire fibers, with fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength appreciably greater than that attainable by the current solid-state fabrication techniques