On the Solidification of Aluminium-base Alloys under Different Gravity Condition

摘要

Thermal analysis of the solidification process in pure Al, low alloyed Al-Cu, Al-Si and Al-Sn alloys have been performed under microgravity conditions and on earth as reference. The cooling rates were between 10 to 150 K/s. It was found that the undercooling was lower and the dendrite structure was coarser in the samples processed under microgravity compared with the samples processed under normal gravity. It was further found that the concentration of the alloying elements in the central part of a primary dendrite arm was higher and that the measured latent heat was higher in the sample tested during microgravity.