Parameter determination of critical nucleation frequency in solidification of undercooled metallic melts

Abstract

A simple method was proposed to calculate the essential parameters correlated with the critical nucleation frequency of undercooled metals and alloy melt. Numerical results show that the calculation accuracy from this method can be improved using the experimental data either with high undercooling or with low undercooling range (the difference of undercoolings between two solidification events). The calculations of the interfacial energy for high undercooling of silver and of the catalytic factor f(θ) for high undercooling of Al, Cu and Al–30 wt-Cu alloy indicate that the results are consistent with the experimental measurements and with the results of Jian's model [Metall. Trans. A, 2001, 32A, 391–395]. In addition, by analysing the differential scanning calorimetry data of pure Sn subjected to different cooling rates, similar values of catalytic factor f(θ) are obtained. This further indicates the validity of the current method.