Interface Motion during Solidification

A vast number of engineering materials are used in solid form, but during processing may be found in vapor or liquid phases. The vapor— solid (condensation) and liquid—>solid (solidification) transformations take place at a distinct interface whose motion determines the rate of formation of the solid. In this chapter we consider some of the factors that influence the kinetics of vapor/solid and liquid/solid interface motion. Because vapor and liquid phases lack long-range structural order, the primary structural features that may influence the motion of these interfaces are those at the solid surface. 

The mechanisms of the motion of liquid/crystal interfaces during solidification were discussed in Section 12.3, and aspects of the heat-conduction-controlled motion of liquid/solid interfaces and their morphological stability under various solidification conditions were treated in Chapter 20. This sets the stage for considering the entire process of the solidification of a body of liquid into a solid. 

---