Compositional Profiling of Rapidly Solidified Cellular Structures

Abstract

ABSTRACTSolute partitioning during rapid solidification is being studied in cellular growth structures produced via pulsed-laser melting of binary alloys. This rapid solidification process can generate significant departures from local equilibrium at the liquid-solid interface which directly affects the resultant microsegregation patterns. Calculated compositional profiles are obtained from a solidification model incorporating the effects of both solute trapping and solute buildup with a suitable tip stability criterion. These are compared to experimentally determined campositional profiles generated across the steady-state cellular regrowth region of the melt pool using STEM x-ray microanalysis.