Limits of constitutional undercooling and interfacial liquid compositions during steady-state directional solidification of binary alloys at various interface velocities

The effect of deviations from equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface dur ing steady-state directional solidification of binary alloys has been analy sed. The analysis includes the solute trapping region wherein freezing is a ccompanied by an increase in the chemical potential of the solute as well a s the domain in which solidification is associated with a decrease in chemi cal potential of both the components. The limits to constitutional undercoo ling and the interface liquid compositions at various interface velocities in the solute trapping region have been derived using a thermodynamic appro ach. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.