Four-Dimensional Morphological Evolution of an Aluminum Silicon Alloy Using Propagation-Based Phase Contrast X-ray Tomographic Microscopy

Four-dimensional propagation-based phase contrast X-ray tomographic microscopy experiments were performed on an Aluminum-29.9 mass% Silicon alloy during coarsening. Using propagation-based phase contrast, changes in the three-dimensional morphology of primary silicon particles were captured and the resulting evolution of the microstructure is discussed. While morphologies at earlier times are complex, faceted and highly interconnected, the morphologies at later times are less faceted but remain quite complex.