Peritectic reaction and its influences on the microstructures evolution during directional solidification of Fe–Ni alloys

Systematic directional solidification experiments were carried out in Fe–Ni peritectic alloys to investigate the influences of peritectic reaction on the microstructures evolution. Various microstructures were observed in the directionally solidified samples, such as bands, mixed bands, island banding, tree-like oscillatory pattern, coupled and cellular coupled growth structures. It was found that peritectic reaction occurs near the trijunctions during the two-phase growth at different interface morphologies of the primary phase observed as planar, cellular and dendritic. Peritectic reaction makes the liquid/δ/γ trijunctions region quite irregular and makes the trijunctions dynamics quite complicated, and thus plays an important role in the formation of various microstructures.