An analysis of the microstructure of rapidly solidified Al-8 wt pct Fe powder

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02643853
• Publication Date: 2007-06-10T02:03:22Z
• Authors: W. J. Boettinger; L. Bendersky; J. G. Early
• Keywords: Supercooling; Particle (ecology); Recalescence

Rapidly solidified powders of Al-8 wt pct Fe exhibit four distinct microstructures with increasing particle diameter in the size range of 5 μm to 45 μm: microcellular α-Al; cellular α-Al; a-Al + Al6Fe eutectic; and Al3Fe primary intermetallic structure. Small powder particles (~10 μm or less) undercool significantly prior to solidification and typically exhibit a two-zone microcellular-cellular structure in individual powder particles. In the two-zone microstructure, there is a transition from solidification dominated by internal heat flow during recalescence with high growth rates (microcellular) to solidification dominated by external heat flow and slower growth rates (cellular). The origin of the two-zone microstructure from an initially cellular or dendritic structure is interpreted on the basis of growth controlled primarily by solute redistribution. Larger particles experience little or no initial undercooling prior to solidification and do not exhibit the two-zone structure. The larger particles contain cellular, eutectic, or primary intermetallic structures that are consistent with growth rates controlled by heat extraction through the particle surface (external heat flow).