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Directional Solidification of AlZn Eutectic in Microgravity Conditions
Author(s) -
Pražák M.,
Holeček S.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
crystal research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.377
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1521-4079
pISSN - 0232-1300
DOI - 10.1002/crat.2170300709
Subject(s) - eutectic system , microstructure , directional solidification , temperature gradient , anisotropy , materials science , oblate spheroid , metallurgy , composite material , physics , optics , meteorology , atomic physics
The directional solidification of an AlZn eutectic based on the Bridgman method has been carried out on the Earth and in orbit on the Russian orbital station in microgravity conditions on a ČSK‐1 apparatus developed at the Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. From the conditions of growth — furnace rate 0.1 mm/min, axial temperature gradient in the melt approx. 5 K/cm — the study of the microstructure and the measurements of interlamellar spacing, lamellae thickness α 1 , hardness HK and the anisotropy of linear thermal expansion it follows, that the microstructure of the specimens prepared in outer space shows an overall lower degree of directionality compared with specimens prepared in analogous terrestrial conditions.