Gravitational influences on the liquid-state homogenization and solidification of aluminum antimonide

Typical commercial or laboratory-prepared samples of polycrystalline AlSb contain microstructural inhomogeneities of Al- or Sb-rich phases in addition to the primary AlSb grains. The paper reports on gravitational influences, such as density-driven convection or sedimentation, that cause microscopic phase separation and nonequilibrium conditions to exist in earth-based melts of AlSb. A triple-cavity electric furnace is used to homogenize the multiphase AlSb samples in space and on earth. A comparative characterization of identically processed low- and one-gravity samples of commercial AlSb reveals major improvements in the homogeneity of the low-gravity homogenized material.