Calorimetric analysis of precipitation in undercooled Ni-Si alloy

In order to study the precipitaion of Ni3Si particle in undercooled Ni-Si alloy, calorimetric analyses were carried out using non-isothermal measurements by DSC. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements were used to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the precipitate microstructures. The non-isothermal DSC thermograms exhibited one reaction peaks and it indicated that the precipitation process is an exothermic reaction. The evolution for the precipitate was obtained in the as-solidified Ni-Si alloy subjected to ⊗T=195K, meanwhile, the precipitate size was found increased with decreased heating rate in the TEM images. The largest precipitate size was about 120nm, and the precipitates still kept spherical shape. Model prediction for the precipitation of Ni3Si particle has been performed. Good agreement with experimental data has been achieved.