Heat flux balance description of unidirectional freezing and melting dynamics on a translational temperature gradient stage

Abstract Directional solidification occurs in industrial and natural processes, such as freeze-casting, metal processing, biological cryopreservation freezing of soils. Translational temperature gradient stage allows to control the process directional visualize it with optical microscope. In this velocity are decoupled independently controlled. Here we study dynamics phase transition interface thin water samples using translational stage. We follow position ice–water microscopy compare solution one dimensional Stefan problem low limit. find an agreement between experimental observations theoretical predictions for constant during acceleration ice front. This work presents a practical framework analysis design experiments on