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Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
8.8K
Heterogeneous melting kinetics in polycrystalline aluminum
Yi Liao1, Meizhen Xiang2, Xiaohua Zhu1
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, China.
Plos One
|March 11, 2020
Summary
This study models heterogeneous melting in aluminum, finding mean grain size significantly impacts melting rate. Melting time shows an exponential temperature dependence, crucial for understanding material behavior at high temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thermodynamics
- Solid-state Physics
Background:
- Polycrystalline aluminum exhibits complex melting behaviors.
- Understanding heterogeneous melting kinetics is vital for material processing and applications.
- Previous models often simplify grain size distributions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a theoretical model for heterogeneous melting kinetics in polycrystalline aluminum.
- To investigate the influence of grain size distribution on melting rates.
- To analyze the temperature and grain size dependence of melting timescales.
Main Methods:
- Development of a theoretical model linking melting rate to Weibull grain-size-distribution.
- Calculation of temperature-time-transformation (TTT) diagrams.
- Analysis of the characteristic timescale of melting.
Main Results:
- Melting rate is highly sensitive to mean grain diameter but not the Weibull shape parameter.
- Melting time exhibits an exponential dependence on temperature in the high-temperature range.
- The exponent constant in the temperature dependence is an intrinsic material property, independent of mean grain diameter.
Conclusions:
- The theoretical model provides insights into the heterogeneous melting kinetics of polycrystalline aluminum.
- Mean grain diameter is a critical factor controlling melting behavior.
- The findings offer a basis for predicting and controlling melting processes in aluminum alloys.
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