Melting, Solidification, and Viscosity Properties of Multicomponent Fe-Cu-Nb-Mo-Si-B Alloys with Low Aluminum Addition

Abstract

Melting, solidification, and viscosity properties of multicomponent Fe-Cu-Nb-Mo-Si-B alloys with low aluminum addition (up to 0.42 at.% Al) were studied using an oscillating cup viscometer. It is shown that melting and solidification are divided into two stages with a knee point at 1461 K. The temperature dependences of the liquid fraction between the liquidus and solidus temperatures during melting and solidification are calculated. It has been proven that aluminum accelerates the processes of melting and solidification and leads to an increase in liquidus and solidus temperatures. In the liquid state at temperatures above 1700 K in an alloy with a low aluminum content, the activation energy of viscous flow increases. This growth was associated with the liquid–liquid structure transition, caused by the formation of large clusters based on the metastable Fe23B6 phase. Aluminum atoms attract iron and boron atoms and contribute to the formation of clusters based on the Fe2AlB2 phase and metastable phases of a higher order.