Phase-field study of the pattern formation in Al–Ag–Cu under the influence of the melt concentration

Abstract

In single transverse sections of directional solidified ternary eutectics, various microstructure patterns can be observed. These patterns influence the mechanical properties and it is therefore of interest to gain a better understanding of the microstructure formation process. It is assumed that local variations in the concentration of the melt lead to different patterns. To investigate this effect, large-scale threedimensional phase-field simulations of directional solidification in the vicinity of the ternary eutectic point of Al–Ag–Cu are applied. The different arising patterns from the simulations are compared and analyzed with statistical methods. The simulations show different stable patterns within a range of ±1% of the melt concentration around the ternary eutectic point. The same tendencies are observed in experimental micrographs.