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Analysis of diffusive cellular patterns in directional solidification of bulk samples

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Abstract

The onset and evolution of cellular patterns at the solid-liquid interface were investigated in directional solidification. A bulk sample of the diluted transparent alloy succinonitrile-acetone was used and the experiments were carried out under diffusive conditions onboard a Space Shuttle mission. The experimental parameters and material properties were selected to cause a supercritical planar-to-cellular transition to small-amplitude cells. Distributions of cell spacings and cell neighbors were determined from CCD images as a function of time. In the steady-state regime, a hexagonal arrangement on the interface with approximately 50 pct defects was found. The average cell spacing of 210 µm was compared to different models, of which the Lu/Hunt model concurred best. A minimal-spanning-tree analysis was carried out to examine the disorder of the cellular patterns as a function of time. The resulting order parameters were compared to those of reference patterns generated from Monte-Carlo simulations. In these simulations cellular organization is often modeled by planar lattices disturbed with Gaussian noise. We have extended this model by the constraint of a minimum distance between the lattice points in analogue to the experimentally found distinct minimum spacings. With this new inhibition model, enhanced quantitative agreement with the experimental cellular patterns was found.

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Author notes

  1. Bernd Kauerauf (Research Scientist Software Developer)

    Present address: Access e.V. Materials and Processes, 52072, Aachen, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Access e.V. Materials and Processes, 52072, Aachen, Germany

    Laszlo Sturz (Research Scientist), Gerhard Zimmermann (Program Manager), Stephan Rex (Program Manager) & Michael Mathes (Research Scientists)

  2. SAP AG Company, 69190, Waldorf, Germany

    Bernd Kauerauf (Research Scientist Software Developer)

Authors
  1. Laszlo Sturz
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  2. Gerhard Zimmermann
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  3. Stephan Rex
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  4. Michael Mathes
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  5. Bernd Kauerauf
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Sturz, L., Zimmermann, G., Rex, S. et al. Analysis of diffusive cellular patterns in directional solidification of bulk samples. Metall Mater Trans A 35, 239–246 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0124-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0124-6

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