Non-equilibrium solidification of concentrated Fe–Ge alloys

The solidification of concentrated alloys containing ordered compounds is less well understood. These alloys often exhibit complex phase hange like peritectic reaction during liquid to solid transformation. The Fe-rich part of Fe–Ge binary alloy system consists of several critical oints and ordered–disorder transitions and can be used as a model system to study the effect of departure from equilibrium on the solidification icrostructure. In order to understand the phase selection and morphological transitions, undercooling and recalescence behaviour; growth rate of he solidifying phases and microstructure need to be explored. In the present paper, we summarise the results obtained in several iron rich alloy ompositions (Fe–(14–25) at.% Ge) using techniques of melt quenching, levitation and laser resolidification. These results provide insight to the urrent theories of dendritic growth and reveals possibility of a new pathway for phase evolution in peritectic alloys at high undercooling involving massive transformation. 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.