Crystallization in the Al-Si, Al-Ge, and Al-Si-Ge systems at centrifugation

Crystallization in the Al-Si, Al-Ge, and Al-Si-Ge systems at centrifugation is studied. Of them, the Al-Si system is the least prone to sedimentation. In the others, sedimentation considerably changes the structure of the alloys at the bottom of the ingots compared with their top. At certain concentrations of the constituents, the number of crystallites in the lower part of the ingot is larger than in the upper part and the crystallites at the bottom are coarser than at the top. The Si: Ge atomic ratio in the Al-Si-Ge system changes by a factor of 2–12 against the initial ratio (1: 1) when the (Si + Ge) concentration changes as a result of centrifugation. Also, this ratio changes over the crystal surface (in the samples not subjected to centrifugation, this ratio remains unchanged over the surface). Crystallites in the Al-Si-Ge system are covered by Ge.