On the primary spacing and microsegregation of cellular dendrites in laser deposited Ni–Nb alloys

In this study, an alloy phase-field model is used to simulate solidification microstructures at different locations within a solidified molten pool. The temperature gradient <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>G</mml:mi></mml:math> and the solidification velocity <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:math> are obtained from a macroscopic heat transfer finite element simulation and provided as input to the phase-field model. The effects of laser beam speed and the location within the melt pool on the primary arm spacing and on the extent of Nb partitioning at the cell tips are investigated. Simulated steady-state primary spacings are compared with power law and geometrical models. Cell tip compositions are compared to a dendrite growth model. The extent of non-equilibrium interface partitioning of the phase-field model is investigated. Although the phase-field model has an anti-trapping solute flux term meant to maintain local interface equilibrium, we have found that during simulations it was insufficient at maintaining equilibrium. This is due to the fact that the additive manufacturing solidification conditions fall well outside the allowed limits of this flux term.