Smelteadferd

Smelteadferd is a term used in materials science and process engineering to describe the set of behaviors exhibited by materials as they transition from solid to liquid. It encompasses changes in mechanical properties, flow behavior, mass transport, and microstructural evolution that occur during melting, casting, or soldering. The concept emphasizes how a material's response to stress, heat, and interfaces changes across the solid–liquid boundary, including onset of flow, viscosity changes, surface wetting, and diffusion of impurities.

The word combines smelte (to melt) and atferd/adferd (behavior) in Scandinavian languages, reflecting the focus on the material's response during phase transition. In practice, smelteadferd is used to compare how different alloys, polymers, or minerals behave as they melt, or to describe how processing conditions influence the melt state.

Key phenomena associated with smelteadferd include the formation of a mushy or liquid zone at the solid–liquid interface, capillary flow and mold filling in casting, and diffusion of alloying elements within the liquid phase. The melt may display Newtonian or non‑Newtonian rheology depending on temperature and composition, and interfacial wetting affects surface roughness and spread.

Researchers study smelteadferd with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine melting temperature and enthalpy, rheometers or viscometers to measure flow behavior, and imaging techniques to observe surface motion and convection. Post-processing microstructure analysis helps link melt behavior to solidified structure.

Applications span metal casting, glass and polymer processing, soldering, and studies of ice melt in climate science. Understanding smelteadferd supports process control, defect reduction, and material design by linking processing conditions to melt behavior.