Directional solidification studies in Ni-Al alloys

Three solid phases are involved in the phase equilibria of the intermetallic compound Ni{sub 3}Al near its melting point, {beta}, {gamma}{prime}(Ni{sub 3}Al), and {gamma}. The generally-accepted phase diagram involves a eutectic reaction between {beta}{prime} and {gamma}, but some recent studies agree with an older diagram due to Schramm, which has a eutectic reaction between the {beta} and {gamma}{prime} phases. The phase equilibria near Ni{sub 3}Al compositions was evaluated using quenched directional solidification experiments, that preserve the microstructures tonned at the solidification front, and using diffusion couple experiments. These experiments show that eutectic forms between {beta} and {gamma}{prime} phases, as in the Schramm diagram. Growth and phase transformations of these three phases are also studied in the directional solidification experiments. Microstructure analysis shows that etching of Ni{sub 3}Al({gamma}{prime}) is very sensitive to small composition variations and crystallographic orientation changes. The eutectic solidification study confirms that the equilibrium eutectic is {gamma}{prime}+{beta}, and that the metastable {gamma}+{beta} eutectic might be also produced in this system according to the impurities, solidification rates, and composition variations.