For peritectic Fe–Ni
alloy, because the d/liquid interfacial energy is less than
the c/liquid interfacial energy (giving a lower resistance
for nucleation of the d phase) and the liquidus temperature
of d phase is higher than that of the c phase (giving
a higher driving force for nucleation of the d phase), the
preferential nucleation of the d phase is always expected
to be favored. This is also coincident with previous work
on the undercooled pure Fe and Fe–2 at.% Ni alloy by
Eckler et al. [27].