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Solidification of Undercooled Ni-Sn Eutectic Alloy Under Microgravity Conditions in the Space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Shuttle T. J. Piccone ,
F. H. Harf ,
Y. Wu ,
Y. Shiohara ,
M. C. Flemings  and
E. A. Winsa
Shuttle T. J. Piccone
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02139
F. H. Harf
Affiliation:
NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH 44135
Y. Wu
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02139
Y. Shiohara
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02139
M. C. Flemings
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02139
E. A. Winsa
Affiliation:
NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH 44135
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Abstract

The Space Shuttle Columbia carried an Alloy Undercooling Experiment on its STS 61-C mission in January, 1986. The experiment was performed in the electromagnetic levitator (EML) designed and produced by the General Electric Company. A sample of Ni-32.5wt% Sn eutectic was melted and solidified under microgravity conditions in the Space Shuttle. The specimen achieved only a fairly small undercooling, probably less than 30 K.

The specimen was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The surface and cross-sectional microstructures were primarily composed of normal lamellar eutectic, but showed several interesting features, including an apparent surface nucleation site, curved dendrites with non-orthogonal secondary arms, dendrite fragments with extremely fine arm spacing, submicron precipitates, and faceted crystals. The results of the space experiment are presented and compared with ground-based results obtained with the same alloy.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 87: Symposium O – Materials Processing in the Reduced Gravity Environment of Space , 1986 , 47
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1987

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References

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