Dilute Al-Cu and Al-Mg alloys were solidified unidirectionally upward by Bridgman method. It is necessary that solute concentration of initial melt is uniform to be able to control the concentration of crystal. When solute concentration is not uniform, it can cause unusual macro-segregation in grown solid. A non-steady state solidification was observed where the solute concentration in the grown solid decreased with the progress of solidification, when a dilute Al-Cu melt with positive axial temperature gradient was solidified. This was caused by leaking out of Cu-rich melt into the gap between ingot and crucible during melt-down and its sedimentation after complete melting. In the case of Al-Mg alloy, the solute concentration has a minimum in the middle of grown specimen because Mg-rich melt flowed down the gap between ingot and crucible and floated after complete melting. Uniform initial melt concentration can be achieved by the homogenization of the ingot or by the absence of the gap between ingot and crucible. Also, these results from the experiment were compared with those of a numerical analysis. The numerical analysis has been made for the concentration and temperature distribution, and convection during crystal growth by the vertical Bridgman method. In the numerical analysis, the characteristics of macro-segregation in the Al-Mg and Al-Cu crystal were studied when initial solute distribution in the melt was non-uniform.
