Existence of Universal Phase Diagrams for Describing General Pore Shape Resulting From an Entrapped Bubble During Solidification

Abstract

This study shows that there exist a pair of universal and unique phase diagrams to describe general development of the pore shape in solid, resulting from a bubble captured by a solidification front. Like thermodynamics, phase diagrams have advantages to generally identify the states and design processes of a system. Pore formation and its shape in solids influence not only microstructure of materials but also contemporary issues of biology, engineering, foods, geophysics, and climate change, etc. In this study, a pair of phase diagrams is thus found to be under dimensionless coordinate systems of dimensionless apex radius, contact angle, and base radius of the bubble cap, as well as solidification rate, contact angle, and growth rate of base radius. The computed results of the development of the pore shape agree with experimental data. The pore shape in solid thus can be optimistically predicted and controlled by choosing a desired path on phase diagrams.