An X-ray Computed Tomography Study of Electromagnetic Stirring Effects on the Metastable Phase Separation Behavior in Undercooled Liquid Cu–Fe Alloys
摘要
The electromagnetic stirring (EMS) effects on the metastable phase separation (MPS) behavior in undercooled liquid Cu–Fe alloys were systematically investigated using glass-fluxing experiments, X-ray computed tomography (XCT) characterizations, and numerical simulations. It was first found that the larger the alternating current magnitude of induction coils, the stronger the EMS-induced forced convection and the greater the critical undercooling for the emergence of the MPS, which enabled the position of metastable miscibility gap shift downward in Fe–Cu phase diagram. The phase separation time increased with a greater undercooling and was further extended by EMS due to the Joule heating and slower cooling. A higher undercooling raised the volume fraction of the Fe-rich zone inside Cu70Fe30 alloy, while the EMS suppressed its separation from the parent liquid. Without EMS, Fe-rich globules migrated upward, forming an eccentric core within the Cu-rich matrix. Under EMS, circular vortex flows in the upper and lower halves inhibited upward movement, leading to a dispersed phase-separated morphology with Fe-rich globules aggregated within the vortex regions. A spherical-cap-like Fe-rich zone appeared on the sample’s inner surface at both conditions but was more flattened under EMS, with flattening decreasing as undercooling increased. Numerical simulations indicated that EMS-induced forced convection dominated phase separation inside the sample processed by EMS, whereas the Stokes motion mainly controlled it without EMS effect. This work sheds a light on utilizing the electromagnetic stirring technique to manipulate the metastable phase separation process for the potential applications of immiscible alloys.