Microstructural evolution during containerless rapid solidification of Co-Si alloys

The Co-12%Si hypoeutectic, Co-12.52%Si eutectic and Co-13%Si hypereutectic alloys are rapidly solidified in a containerless environment in a drop tube. Undercoolings up to 207K (0.14T_E) are obtained, which play a dominant role in dendritic and eutectic growth. The coupled zone around Co-12.52%Si eutectic alloy has been calculated, which covers a composition range from 11.6 to 12.7%Si. A microstructural transition from lamellar eutectic to divorced eutectic occurs to Co-12.52%Si eutectic droplets with increasing undercooling. The lamellar eutectic structure of the Co-12.52%Si alloy consists of εCo and Co_3Si phases at small undercooling. The Co_3Si phase cannot decompose completely into εCo and αCo_2Si phases. As undercooling becomes larger, the Co_3Si phase grows very rapidly from the highly undercooled alloy melt to form a divorced eutectic. The structural morphology of the Co-12%Si alloy droplets transforms from εCo primary phase plus lamellar eutectic to anomalous eutectic, whereas the microstructure of Co-13%Si alloy droplets experiences a `dendritic to equiaxed' structural transition. No matter how large the undercooling is, the εCo solid solution is the primary nucleation phase. In the highly undercooled alloy melts, the growth of εCo and Co_3Si phases is controlled by solutal diffusion.