5th International Conference on Advances in Solidification Processes (ICASP-5) 5th International Symposium on Cutting Edge of Computer Simulation of Solidification, Casting and Refining (CSSCR-5)

Magnetic fields have varieties of ubiquitous influence on nucleation and growth in solidification. As long as plenty of experimental phenomenon and results respectively have been revealed and retrieved, the mechanism of effect of magnetic fields on nucleation and growth in solidification keeps ambiguous. Not only thermodynamics mainly clarifies mechanism of growth qualitatively in solidification under magnetic field, but also it try to explain nucleation qualitatively in vain. Crystal-melt interfacial energy, a crucial parameter of dynamics, plays a key role in nucleation and growth in solidification. Crystal-melt interfacial free energy represents an important material constant influencing various aspects of microstructural evolution and thus materials properties decisively. Static magnetic field performs a notable effect on the undercooling of pure Al and Bi and the morphology of crystal-melt interface of Al-Cu alloys. Several studies have inferred that static magnetic field may affect the absolute value and anisotropy of crystal-melt interfacial free energy. Herein, experiment determination of crystal-melt interfacial free energy of opaque metals and alloys is always difficult and the examination precision is fundamental to the absolute value and anisotropy of solid/liquid interfacial free energy. Grain boundary groove method and dihedral angle method are very plausible to determination of the absolute value and the relative value of crystal-melt interfacial free energy respectively. Equilibrium shape method is very reliable to measurement of the anisotropy of crystal-melt interfacial free energy. The absolute value, relative value and anisotropy of crystal-melt interfacial free energy in the Al-Cu system have been retrieved with and without static magnetic field in this work. Key words: Crystal-melt interfacial free energy, Static magnetic fields, Solidification