A quantitative study of the solute diffusion zone during solidification of Al-Cu alloys via in-situ synchrotron X-radiography and numerical simulation

The solute diffusion zone plays a critical role in determining nucleation efficiency during heterogeneous nucleation. In this study, in-situ synchrotron X-radiography and numerical modeling were employed to investigate the Solute Suppressed Nucleation Zone (SSNZ) surrounding growing equiaxed grains in Al-13Cu alloys. Quantitative analysis of SSNZ and constitutional undercooling was conducted using image processing techniques. Solute concentration and SSNZ length in the <110> direction exceed those in the <100> direction, suggesting higher solute enrichment in dendrite centers. This causes greater undercooling in the dendrite growth direction (<100>) with faster dendrite growth rates. As equiaxed dendrites grow, SSNZ length in the <100> direction decreases while increasing significantly in the <110> direction. Utilizing data obtained from numerical simulations, we refined the analytical equation governing solute distribution preceding the solid–liquid interface under three-dimensional conditions, and the computational equation determining the SSNZ length. The SSNZ lengths derived from the optimized equation along the <100> and <110> directions demonstrate more agreement with both experimental observations and numerical simulation outcomes. Higher growth rates rapidly increase undercooling, limiting the development of nucleation-free zone. Additionally, SSNZ area growth slows at higher cooling rate, correlating with increased solute concentration and reduced area in SSNZ.