Investigation on Hydrodynamic Effect on Eutectic Melting*

Eutectic melting (EM) is melting of the crystal due to the exposure to the surface of another adjacent phase. EM is common for multi-component systems. Empirical equations have been developed for the prediction of EM progress; however, EM speed significantly varies depending on the experimental conditions such as a specimen geometry. It may be considered that the difference of specimen geometry causes the different flow conditions in liquid phases and thus EM speed changes. However, there was no investigation on how the flow condition in the liquid phase affects the EM progress. In this study, the hydrodynamic effect on EM of Sn-Bi binary system has been experimentally investigated. The solid specimen made of tin was soaked in the Sn-Bi eutectic melt while controlling the flow around the specimen. Tuning-fork sensors measured the apparent weight of the submerged specimen in a time-resolved manner as a degree of the EM. Consequently, the EM was significantly enhanced by the flow on turbulent conditions. The influence of the flow condition on EM was also observed as the wavy-shaped interface.