Crystallization microstructure in transparent monotectic alloys

Abstract

The surprising funguslike morphology which occurs at the liquid(1)/liquid(2)/solid triple junction in directionally solidifying miscibility gap systems at the monotectic temperature is described. The monotectic temperature in a binary mixture is the one at which two immiscible solutions of the same two components form phases in equilibrium with the solid phase of one of the components. The growth of this morphology is described, and a similarity between it and that of a known crystal growth morphology is pointed out.