Influence of cooling rate on crystallisation kinetics on microstructure of cast zinc alloys

Abstract

In this study, the change of the cooling rate in the range of about 0.1–1 °C s−1 and the addition of Sr on the crystallization kinetics of the cast zinc alloys of the ZnAlCu type, as well as its relation to the microstructure were also investigated. Therefore, the aim of the rapid crystallisation is the achievement of materials with better properties, which can be obtained by refinement of the dendritic or eutectic microstructure, elimination of segregation, or creation of metastable phases and their morphology changes. In the investigated alloys, the change of cooling rate of 1 °C s−1 has caused microstructure’s refinement as well as increase in hardness. Increase in the cooling rate causes also morphology changes of the η + α eutectic, and makes generally a global overcooling of the alloy as well as change in the temperatures at the beginning of crystallization T DN and of the alloy crystallization T S. The presented investigations concerning the electron microscopy methods, including transmission electron microscopy, allow revealing the crystallographic structure, based on the d-spacing changes, as well as the diffraction method used for phase determination, which is a helpful tool for the explanation of the important points in the thermo-derivative analysis curve, where the relation between the amount of phase and the occurrence of new phases can be determined.