TEXTURE ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURE IN CU-30 AT-PERCENT NI-ALLOY DROPLETS SOLIDIFIED AT SELECTED UNDERCOOLINGS

For Cu-Ni alloy droplets processed by containerless solidification und er levitation, the crystallographic texture is strongly correlated wit h the microstructure seen in optical metallography and with the underc ooling at which solidification started. Systematic analysis of the tex ture is useful in understanding the development of the microstructure, in particular whether it is dendritic or grain-refined. The variation , with undercooling, of orientation spread in dendritic samples enable s texture measurements to be used to estimate the maximum undercooling of a droplet when temperature measurement is not possible. The contri bution of dendrite break-up to the observed grain refinement is analys ed, both for low and high undercoolings. Copyright (C) 1996 Acta Metal lurgica Inc.