Alloys with equiaxed microstructures, characterized by spheroidal and randomly oriented grains, are often required in many applications to assure desirable mechanical properties. Many routes to produce equiaxed microstructures are available, The most conventional approach is casting followed by subsequent therm omechanical processing. In this approach, extensive secondary processing by thermal and/or thermomechanical treatments is required to eliminate macro-segregation in the cast structure and to facilitate recrystallization of columnar dendritic grains into equiaxed grains. Equiaxed microstructures are i also produced in more controlled manners by rhcocasting [1], powder metallurgy [2], and more recently by various rapid solidification processes [3-7], While these routes have advantages over the ingot metallurgical approach, a more direct approach to convert melt directly to a bulk material in its final form is desired.
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