Spontaneous Liquefaction of Solid Metal–Liquid Metal Interfaces in Colloidal Binary Alloys

Tuesday publication update! In this newest publication, authors used the #FusionAX to look at the crystallization from molten alloys in the field of metallurgy! In this work, they explored the solid intermetallic particles surrounded by the liquid metal from which they precipitated.

The outer layers of solidified intermetallics fluctuate between crystalline and liquid states, even several nanometers deep. This instability occurs at temperatures over 200 K below the solid’s bulk melting point. With high resolution in situ microscopy, the authors were able to visualize this process (see video)!

️ Unlike surface pre-melting or conventional bulk melting, crystal interface liquefaction happens at remarkably low temperatures and close to equilibrium, differentiating it from other known processes.

This phenomenon isn’t isolated; it’s observed across various binary alloy systems, suggesting a broader impact on our understanding of crystallization and solidification in metallic systems.

These findings challenge conventional wisdom and open new avenues for exploring and controlling crystallization processes in metallurgy. Join us in delving into this groundbreaking research and its potential to revolutionize alloy processing!

Want to read the entire paper?
https://www.doi.org/10.1002/advs.202400147

Want to know more about the FusionAX system?

In Situ Heating and Biasing

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