Heat transfer study of solidification of eutectic alloys with temperature-dependent solid fraction and time-dependent heat flux

Although the solidification behavior of eutectic alloys has been widely studied, the growth rate of solid fraction as a function of local temperature remains less explored. A theoretical model of the three-region solidification process is proposed that includes the linear relationship between the solid fraction and the temperature of the mushy zone. A physically realistic, time-dependent heat transfer is considered a driving function of the solidification process. The analytical solution of the proposed model is determined by converting the given partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations by using the similarity transformation. The detailed discussion of the model is presented by taking the thermal–physical properties of Al–Cu composition with 5 % Cu. The validity of the current model is shown with the previous model and found that the current model offers a faster solidification rate with the least energy consumption and thus minimizes the operating time. It is found that material solidifies slower after formation of the mush form due to thermal resistance. Due to the greater value of heat transfer constant Ω, greater heat is removed from the surface of the liquid alloy and material gets solidified faster. The observations found in this study may be relevant for solid solutions and eutectic alloys.