Crystallization of Eutectics in Fe-C-V-Si Alloys

This article addresses the results of microstructural examinations of the volume solidifying Fe–C–V–Si alloys containing carbon in the range of 1.39÷1.76%, vanadium in the range of 6.77÷7.77% and silicon in the range of 0.02÷3.10. The melting charge was Armco iron, ferro-vanadium with 81.7 wt.%V, spectrally pure graphite and technically pure silica. It was shown that with increasing the silicon content, the microstructure of the resulting alloy changing. These changes include both a matrix the shape of the primary carbides and type of crystallizing eutectic. In the studied alloys was observed following eutectic: fibrous (crystallize as non-faceted/ non-faceted eutectic), complex regular (crystallize as faceted/ non-faceted eutectic), spiral (crystallize as faceted/ faceted eutectic). The results illustrated by the images of the microstructures made with an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope.