Engulfment and Pushing of Cylindrical Liquid Nano-Inclusion by Advancing Crystal/Melt Interface: An Atomistic Simulation Study

Abstract

We reported a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of an advancing pure Al(100)/melt interface that encounters a foreign immiscible liquid Pb cylindrical nano-inclusion. When the advancing interface approaches the inclusion, the interface may engulf, push to an extent and then engulf or push the nano-inclusion away from the solidifying phase depending on the velocity of the interface. Here, we investigated cylindrical liquid Pb nano-inclusion pushing or engulfment by a growing crystal Al that strongly depends on the velocity of the crystal/melt interface, and a critical velocity (vc) is deduced. If the velocity of the interface is less than vc, then the inclusion is pushed and engulfed otherwise. The relationship between vc and the radius of the nano-inclusion is expressed using a power function that agrees well with the previous studies. For velocity above the vc, the crystal/melt interface plays a vital role; it hinders the matrix atoms from setting below the cylindrical nano-inclusion due to insufficient mass transfer below the inclusion, resulting in the engulfment.