1995 Volume 35 Issue 6 Pages 566-573
Efficient metallurgical and processing development requires ability to predict the solidification microstructure of products. Models were developed to calculate possible growth morphologies and phases in order to select the most efficient one for a given solidification condition. It is then possible to predict solidification microstructure selection maps (SMSM) indicating the microstucture as a function of the composition and the growth rate. A summary of the methodology of solidification microstructure prediction is given. Results obtained in a large velocity range for Al-Fe and Al-Cu systems are reviewed with experimental comparison and emphasis on the role played by metastable phase equilibria in the modelling. Finally, an outline of the actual work extending this approach to multicomponent alloys is given. Provisional calculated solidification microstructure maps for the Al-Cu-Si system are presented.
