Phase formation in contact of dissimilar metals

Abstract

Formation and growth of intermediate phases in contact of the crystalline samples forming a two-component eutectic system is considered. It is shown that during the competition to a growing liquid phase the intermediate solid phases cannot grow by diffusion. The alternative is formation of metastable areas of a liquid phase. Measurements of liquid layers extent in Pb-Bi and In-Bi systems have allowed to define the composition of liquid on interface where formation of metastable liquid is possible. The results show that the concentration interval of a liquid layer corresponds to a stable constitution diagram. In order to explain the experimental results the hypothesis according to which the intermediate solid phases are formed as a result of precipitation from metastable melt is considered. The experimental confirmation of formation and crystallization of a metastable liquid is the fact that intergrowth of the samples forming system with an intermetallic phase at temperatures below the temperature of fusion of the most low-melting eutectic is observed. The possibility of the processes concerned with the occurrence of metastable areas of a liquid is showed by means of computer imitation.

Contact Melting of Metals Explained via the Theory of Quasi-Liquid Layer

“…The contact melting rate has yet to be fully elucidated. According to experimental data [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], contact melting of samples occurs on a timescale of seconds. However, in explaining this characteristic time, a contradiction arises.…”