TY - JOUR

T1 - Microgravity studies of solidification patterns in model transparent alloys onboard the International Space Station

AU - Akamatsu, S.

AU - Bottin-Rousseau, Sabine

AU - Witusiewicz, Victor

AU - Hecht, U.

AU - Plapp, M.

AU - Ludwig, Andreas

AU - Mogeritsch, Johann Peter

AU - Serefoglu, M.

AU - Bergeon, N.

AU - Mota, F. L.

AU - Sturz, L.

AU - Zimmermann, G.

AU - McFadden, S.

AU - Sillekens, Wim

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023, Springer Nature Limited.

PY - 2023/10/18

Y1 - 2023/10/18

N2 - We review recent in situ solidification experiments using nonfaceted model transparent alloys in science-in-microgravity facilitiesonboard the International Space Station (ISS), namely the Transparent Alloys (TA) apparatus and the Directional Solidification Insertof the DEvice for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization (DECLIC-DSI). These directional-solidification devices use innovativeoptical videomicroscopy imaging techniques to observe the spatiotemporal dynamics of solidification patterns in real time in largesamples. In contrast to laboratory conditions on ground, microgravity guarantees the absence or a reduction of convective motionin the liquid, thus ensuring a purely diffusion-controlled growth of the crystalline solid(s). This makes it possible to perform a directtheoretical analysis of the formation process of solidification microstructures with comparisons to quantitative numericalsimulations. Important questions that concern multiphase growth patterns in eutectic and peritectic alloys on the one hand andsingle-phased, cellular and dendritic structures on the other hand have been addressed, and unprecedented results have beenobtained. Complex self-organizing phenomena during steady-state and transient coupled growth in eutectics and peritectics,interfacial-anisotropy effects in cellular arrays, and promising insights into the columnar-to-equiaxed transition are highlighted.

AB - We review recent in situ solidification experiments using nonfaceted model transparent alloys in science-in-microgravity facilitiesonboard the International Space Station (ISS), namely the Transparent Alloys (TA) apparatus and the Directional Solidification Insertof the DEvice for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization (DECLIC-DSI). These directional-solidification devices use innovativeoptical videomicroscopy imaging techniques to observe the spatiotemporal dynamics of solidification patterns in real time in largesamples. In contrast to laboratory conditions on ground, microgravity guarantees the absence or a reduction of convective motionin the liquid, thus ensuring a purely diffusion-controlled growth of the crystalline solid(s). This makes it possible to perform a directtheoretical analysis of the formation process of solidification microstructures with comparisons to quantitative numericalsimulations. Important questions that concern multiphase growth patterns in eutectic and peritectic alloys on the one hand andsingle-phased, cellular and dendritic structures on the other hand have been addressed, and unprecedented results have beenobtained. Complex self-organizing phenomena during steady-state and transient coupled growth in eutectics and peritectics,interfacial-anisotropy effects in cellular arrays, and promising insights into the columnar-to-equiaxed transition are highlighted.

KW - Microgravity

KW - model transparent alloy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85154565690&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41526-023-00326-8

DO - 10.1038/s41526-023-00326-8

M3 - Article

VL - 2023

JO - npj Microgravity

JF - npj Microgravity

SN - 2373-8065

IS - 9

M1 - 83

ER -