An attempt to define the relationship among temperature gradient G in liquid ahead of the interface, freezing rate
R and initial solute concentration
C0, governing the cellular/dendritic transition, was made from observations of the solid/liquid interface in the unidirectionally solidified Al-Fe and Al-Zn alloys.
By increasing
C0 and R or decreasing
G, the solid/liquid interface morphology changes successively from broken hexagonal cell to dendritic cell and dendrite. In both alloys, the
C0 vs.
G/R relationship for the transition from broken hexagonal cell to dendritic cell is curved, while the
C0 vs.
G/R1/2 is linear. In the Al-Fe alloys, the transition occurs at smaller
C0 R1/2/G than in the Al-Zn alloys. The side branches of dendrite in the Al-Fe alloys are rod-type and tend to grow parallel to heat flow direction. The high enrichment of Fe solute ahead of the interface, which leads to the formation of the FeAl
3 compound at boundaries, suppresses the linear growth of the side branches. In the Al-Zn alloys, only slight enrichment of Zn solute and no side branches are observed; the branches are plate-like and the dendrite is described as cellular dendrite. The size of hexagonal cell in both alloys is proportional to the inverse of the cooling rate.
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