CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED LAMELLAR EUTECTIC LIF-LIBAF3

Directionally solidified samples of the lamellar LiF-LiBaF3 eutectic h ave been examined by light microscopy and quantitative image analysis. When performing investigations of the influence of the growth paramet ers on the eutectic texture, it is necessary to use sensitive characte rization methods to determine its quality. We have developed a new qua ntitative method for characterizing this lamellar eutectic, using a no rmalized length of the lamellae. We have also studied the correlation between the growth velocity nu and the lamellar spacing lambda for the eutectic system LiF-LiBaF3. These investigations were made in the cou rse of preparing an experiment under microgravity conditions during th e second German Spacelab Mission D2.