Microstructure formation at low velocity during directional solidification of Pb-Bi peritectic alloys

Directional solidification experiments on Pb-Bi peritectic alloys have been conducted at very low velocity (V=0.5 μm/s) and high thermal gradient (G=25 K/mm). Incomplete banded and oscillatory structures have been observed in both of hypoperitectic and hyperperitectic compositions over several millimeters of growth. These structures resulted from the repeated nucleation and competition between properitectic α- and peritectic β-phases. The banded or oscillatory structures are found to be transient and the final steady-state phase was only the peritectic β-phases. With an increase in composition, β phase formed and α phase disappeared at a lower solidified distance. Composition variations in the banded structure are measured to determine the solute distribution along the growth direction.