Quantitative multi-phase-field modeling of non-isothermal solidification in hexagonal multicomponent alloys

Abstract

A quantitative multi-phase-field model for non-isothermal and polycrystalline solidification was developed and applied to dilute multicomponent alloys with hexagonal close-packed structures. The effects of Lewis coefficient and undercooling on dendrite growth were investigated systematically. Results show that large Lewis coefficients facilitate the release of the latent heat, which can accelerate the dendrite growth while suppress the dendrite tip radius. The greater the initial undercooling, the stronger the driving force for dendrite growth, the faster the growth rate of dendrites, the higher the solid fraction, and the more serious the solute microsegregation. The simulated dendrite growth dynamics are consistent with predictions from the phenomenological theory but significantly deviate from the classical JMAK theory which neglects the soft collision effect and mutual blocking among dendrites. Finally, taking the Mg-6Gd-2Zn (wt.%) alloy as an example, the simulated dendrite morphology shows good agreement with experimental results.