Computer Simulation of Grain Growth by the Phase Field Model. Effect of Interfacial Energy on Kinetics of Grain Growth

Abstract

Numerical simulations of grain growth based on the phase field method were performed in order to investigate effect of interfacial energy on kinetics of growth. From the theoretical analysis of the evolution equation with the Ginzburg-Landua type free energy functional, It is known that the gradient energy coefficient ,κ, and a parameter γ in a local free energy function affects interfacial energy of a materials. Numerical simulation results indicate that the average size is proportional to the square root of time and after a short transient time, the grain size distribution and the grain side distribution functions become time-independent. These results are in good agreement with these obtained by the mean field theory and the Monte Carlo simulation. Growth rate becomes larger with the increase of κ and growth rate becomes smaller with the increase of γ . These results are in good agreement with these obtained by conventional theories.