Dendritic morphology of α-Mg during the solidification of Mg-based alloys: 3D experimental characterization by X-ray synchrotron tomography and phase-field simulations

The microstructural features of many engineering materials are characterized by three-dimensional (3D) dendritic patterns. Here, we have used a combination of computer simulations by phase field method and 3D experimental characterization by X-ray synchrotron tomography to demonstrate that the morphologies of hexagonal close-packed α-Mg dendritic structures during solidification which exhibit quasi-perfect sixfold symmetry are different from previously thought. These results have important implications for predicting the microstructural features of cast alloys that exhibit dendritic solidification processes.