Growth and three-dimensional analysis of a Nb–Al–Ni ternary eutectic

In this work, the microstructure of an Al3Nb–Nb2Al–AlNbNi ternary eutectic obtained by directional solidification was analyzed. Because the phase arrangement of this eutectic is highly complex, this study involved a three-dimensional reconstruction of the microstructure using the serial sectioning technique. The visualization of the reconstructed microstructure revealed that the fibers possessed a high degree of sinuosity. Although these fibers were continuous in the growth direction, they displayed a tendency to move back and forth across a central axis.