Materials Science Forum, Vol.519-521, 1707-1712, 2006
3D microstructure reconstruction of aluminum alloys quenched during solidification
In the present research the possibility of studying the solidification of aluminum alloys by using the quenching technique is analyzed. Since the quenching technique does not provide reliable information (i.e. due to an overestimation of solid fraction) when measuring the solid fraction over 2D images from samples quenched at high temperature, the overestimation problem is investigated by analyzing 3D reconstructed microstructures from quenched samples. The 3D reconstructed microstructure may provide better understanding about the cause of overestimation of solid fraction when quenching at high temperatures. Consequently, the reconstruction of the microstructure that has existed before quenching may be possible after identifying and removing the solid phase that develops during quenching. In the present research, binary aluminum alloys are solidified and quenched at different temperatures, and then 3D reconstructed images are analyzed. The possibility of reconstructing the microstructure that develops during solidification before quenching is discussed.