Short-range order and solid-liquid interfaces in undercooled metallic melts

The short-range order in undercooled melts is predicted to influence the en ergy of the interface between the liquid and a solid nucleus. depending on the structure of the solid phase. This impacts the nucleation behaviour of solid phases from undercooled melts, and thus the properties of the as-soli dified materials. This paper reviews theoretical and experimental investigations on the short -range order in undercooled melts and its effect on the solid-liquid interf acial energy. The structure dependence of the solid-liquid intel facial ene rgy is investigated theoretically by modelling of the solid-liquid interfac e basing on the negentropic model by Spaepen and Thompson, and experimental ly by undercooling experiments employing the electromagnetic levitation tec hnique. The studied phases include quasicrystalline and polytetrahedral sol ids. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.