Abstract
Pure, low-oxygen zirconium samples have been observed to nucleate a solid phase under conditions during which the sample was expected to remain liquid. This phenomenon was first seen during Spacelab Mission MSL-1R (materials science laboratory) experiments and has since also been observed in the International Space Station (ISS) electromagnetic levitation (EML) facility on a different sample. Current work has been able to replicate these anomalous solidification events under a range of conditions in the ISS MSL-EML facility. The solidification events are not well explained by classical homogeneous or heterogeneous nucleation. The current theory is that collapsing voids in the melt create a local region of high pressure that results in local material being deeply undercooled and a strong driving force for solidification.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D.A. Porter, K.E. Kasterling, and M.Y. Sherif, Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys, 3rd ed. (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2009), p. 7–9, 181–246.
W.H. Hofmeister, R.J. Bayuzick, R. Hyers, and G. Trapaga, Appl. Phys. Lett. (1999). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.123945.
D. Holland-Moritz, T. Schenk, P. Convert, T. Hansen, and D.M. Herlach, Meas. Sci. Technol. (2005). https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/16/2/007.
D.M. Herlach, D. Holland-Moritz, R. Willnecker, D. Herlach, and K. Maier, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. (2003). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2002.1140.
C. Bührer, U. Holzwarth, K.G. Maier, D. Plazek, and J. Reske, Appl. Phys. A (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01567649.
J.D. Hunt and K.A. Jackson, J. Appl. Phys. (1966). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1707821.
J.J. Frawley and W.J. Childs, Trans. Metall. Soc. AIME. 242, 256–263 (1968).
J.D. Hunt and K.A. Jackson, Nature (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2111080b0.
R. Wunderlich, Presented at IWG 14, DLR, Colonge, 2016
T. Iida and R.I.L. Guthrie, The Physical Properties of Liquid Metals (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), p. 72.
T. Ishikawa, P.-F. Paradis, T. Itami, and S. Yoda, Meas. Sci. Technol. (2005). https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/16/2/016.
J. Lee, D.M. Matson, S. Binder, M. Kolbe, D. Herlach, and R.W. Hyers, Metall. Mater. Trans. B (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-013-9995-5.
R.W. Hyers, G. Trapaga, and B. Abedian, Metall. Mater. Trans. B (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-003-0052-7.
S. Klein, D. Holland-Moritz, and D.M. Herlach, Phys. Rev. B (2009). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.80.212202.
P.-F. Paradis, W.-K. Rhim, in Proc. SPIE 3792, Materials Research in Low Gravity II, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351289.
J. Zhao, The Effect of Oxygen on Properties of Zirconium Metal, Scholarworks @UmassAmherst, 2020. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1875. Accessed 9 April 2020
R.W. Hyers, J. Zhao, G.P. Bracker, R. Wunderlich, and H. Fecht, Light Metals 100, 1 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05864-7_198.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Jürgen Brillo, Douglas Matson, Dieter Herlach, Ken Kelton, Dirk Holland-Moritz, and Thomas Volkmann for fruitful discussions. The experiment was run in the ISS-EML facility, formerly MSL-EML. Support for this project was provide through NASA Grant NNX16AB40G.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bracker, G.P., Schneider, S., Wunderlich, R. et al. Confirmation of Anomalous Nucleation in Zirconium. JOM 72, 3140–3146 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04257-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04257-7