Microstructure formation and phase selection in the solidification of Al₂O₃–5 at% SiO₂ melts by splat quenching

Abstract

An Al₂O₃–5 at% SiO₂ specimen was levitated in an Aero-Acoustic Levitation apparatus and then melted when a continuous-wave CO₂ laser beam heating system was incorporated. The sample can be highly undercooled when decreasing the laser power. Rapid solidification by splat quenching can be realized at defined temperatures, using well-polished copper as chilling anvils. Microstructure transition from nonfaceted colony to strong faceted dendrites was observed when the melt was quenched at ΔT = 50 K, indicating that a kinetic contribution for roughening the microstructure may be significant for the morphology transition. The impacting, spreading, and solidifying processes were analyzed on the basis of microstructure observation. The additional undercooling was suggested to vary per an exponential relation with distance when the kinetic effect was taken into account. The nucleation behavior was also discussed according to the proposed additional undercoolings to demonstrate the difference in nucleation population at various regions. When the melt undercooling increases to 190 K, a double-phase structure with small polycrystalline inclusion embedded into amorphous matrix was obtained. The continuous cooling transformation profile was proposed to account for the phase selection upon quenching. The present observation and suggested model for acquiring high additional undercoolings are useful in elucidating the work of others.