Abstract:Departing from the volume-averaging method, an overall solidification kinetic model for undercooled single-phase solid-solution alloys was developed to study the effect of back diffusion on the solidification kinetics. Application to rapid solidification of undercooled Ni−15%Cu (mole fraction) alloy shows that back diffusion effect has significant influence on the solidification ending temperature but possesses almost no effect on the volume fraction solidified during recalescence. Inconsistent with the widely accepted viewpoint of Herlach, solidification ends at a temperature between the predictions of Lever rule and Scheil’s equation, and the exact value is determined by the effect of back diffusion, the initial undercooling and the cooling rate.

Key words: Ni−Cu alloy; rapid solidification; diffusion; undercooling