Thermophysical Properties of Liquids and Solidification Microstructure Characteristics—Benchmark Data Generated in Microgravity

For a wide range of new or better products, solidification processing of metallic materials from the melt is a step of uppermost importance in the industrial production chain. This article discusses the casting and solidification of molten metallic alloy along with the application of low-gravity platforms and facilities for solidification processing. It provides a description of dendritic growth studies and electromagnetic levitation. The article concludes with information on the in situ and real-time monitoring of solidification processing.