OSTWALD RIPENING AND SOLIDIFICATION GROWTH OF PRIMARY SILICON-CRYSTALS DURING SOLIDIFICATION OF AN AL-19-PERCENT-SI-0.02-PERCENT-P ALLOY

The contribution of Ostwald ripening increases with decreasing cooling rate and with increasing number of primary silicon crystals formed at the onset of solidification. The number of primary silicon crystals after complete solidification is primarily dependent on their number at the onset of solidification and the effect of Ostwald ripening is negligibly small. Growth of primary silicon crystals during solidification is almost entirely due to solidification growth.