Solidification of highly undercooled hypereutectic Ni-Ni₃B alloy melt

The solidification of undercooled Ni-4.5 wt pct B alloy melt was investigated by using the glass fluxing technique. The alloy melt was undercooled up to ΔT _p ∼ 245 K (245 °C), where a mixture of α-Ni dendrite, Ni₃B dendrite, rod eutectic, and precipitates was obtained. If ΔT _p < 175 K ± 10 K (175 °C ± 10 °C), the solidification pathway was found as primary transformation and eutectic transformation (L → Ni₃B and L → Ni/Ni₃B); if ΔT _p ≤ 175 K ± 10 K (175 °C ± 10 °C), the pathway was found as metastable eutectic transformation, metastable phase decomposition, and residual liquid solidification (L → Ni/Ni₂₃B₆, Ni₂₃B ₆ → Ni/Ni₃B, and L_r → Ni/Ni ₃B). A high-speed video system was adopted to observe the solidification front of each transformation. It showed that for residual liquid solidification, the solidification front velocity is the same magnitude as that for eutectic transformation, but is an order of magnitude larger than for metastable eutectic transformation, which confirms the reaction as L_r → Ni/Ni₃B; it also showed that this velocity decreases with increasing ΔT _r, which can be explained by reduction of the residual liquid fraction and decrease of Ni₂₃B₆ decomposition rate.