1987 Volume 37 Issue 11 Pages 714-720
AZ91C magnesium alloys were unidirectionally solidified at various liquid cooling rates (V LC), average cooling rates in solidification range (V SC), temperature gradients (G), moving velocities of solid-liquid interface (R) and G/R ratios. Equiaxed dendrite structure was obtained by the superheating of molten metal. Dendrite cell size decreases exponentially with increasing liquid cooling rate. With increasing average cooling rate and with decreasing temperature gradient, the amount of eutectic compounds increases and it extends at triple junctions of cell boundaries and individual cell boundaies. In AZ91C-T6 alloy, the eutectic compounds dissolve by solution heat treatment. Discontinuous precipitates along cell boundaries were observed by optical microscopy and their width decreases with increasing liquid cooling rate.