Gravitational sensitivity of solutions-melts at the crystallization of two-phase InSb-InBi alloys under space conditions

Analyzing the results of space and ground-based experiments carried out in the Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science to study the proce sses of the melting and crystallization of two-phase InSb-InBi alloys of an indium-antimony-bismuth (In-Sb-Bi) triple system, we have demonstrated the gravitational sensitivity of the InSb-based solution-melt. It manifests it self as a certain asymmetry of the boundary of the dissolution of the InSb ingot by the InSb-InBi melt and heterogeneity of the melt along this bounda ry depending on the magnitude and direction of the gravity force accelerati on g in the range (1-10(-3)-10(-5))g(0), where go is the acceleration of th e gravity force on Earth. For the first time, it is established in the expe riments under analysis that the homogeneity of melts of a complex compositi on with components of various densities can be reached only at magnitudes o f quasistationary (residual) microaccelerations g < 10(-6)g(0).