Directional solidification

Directional solidification (DS) is controlled solidification of liquid metal in order to continually supply the solidifying front of the casting with feed metal.
Between directional solidification methods, Bridgman growth method involves heating crystalline material above its melting point and its consequent solidification at defined growth rate and temperature gradient.
IMMS SAS for needs of directional solidification possess the modified Bridgman apparatus.

Options of utilization of DS:

to produce the single crystals with defined crystal orientation
to produce eutectic composite materials
to elucidate the dependence between the growth conditions and microstructure of intermetallic alloys
to study the cellular to dendritic growth by the change of solidification parameters
to study of the columnar to equiaxed grain growth transition
to study microstructural evolution during solidification and subsequent solid-state transformations by combination of directional solidification with quenching methods
to estimate the primary solidification phase

DS1      DS2
Eutectic Ni-Al-Mo composite with       DS Ti-46Al-2W-0.5Si (at.%) alloy,
intermetallic matrix reinforced by      V = 1.18x10-4 ms-1. C - Al2O3 particles
Mo fibers

DS3
Quenched dendritic interface in
Ni-21.7Al-7.5Cr-6.5Ti (at.%) alloy after
DS at V = 5.56x10-5 ms-1,
Q – quenched arrea

Contact person: Dr. Juraj Lapin