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Phase-field modelling of spinodal decomposition with G-phase precipitation during ageing

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Abstract

The duplex stainless steels (DSSs) are susceptible to thermal ageing embrittlement due to the spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation in the ferritic phase. This study presents a ternary (Fe-Cr-Ni) phase-field model for the simulation of spinodal decomposition with concurrent G-phase precipitation. Two Cahn-Hilliard equations and one Ginzburg-Landau equation are used in the model to describe the diffusion of Cr, Ni, and the growth of G-phase, respectively. The model is able to generate a spinodally-interconnected structure with G-phase particles near the α-α′ interfaces, similar to experimental observations. The kinetic synergy between spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation is discussed. The simulation results indicate that G-phase can enhance the evolution of spinodal decomposition by occupying the volume where the decomposition could otherwise occur, and that the system’s elastic strain energy is largely contributed by G-phase rather than spinodal decomposition. These results would help in better understanding the states of the materials for plant structural integrity assessment and life management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    JiaQing Shi & Yao Shen

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    JiaQing Shi & Yao Shen

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  1. JiaQing Shi
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  2. Yao Shen
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Correspondence to Yao Shen.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFB0702201). LIU HaiTing and MO HanXuan are acknowledged for participation in discussion.

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Shi, J., Shen, Y. Phase-field modelling of spinodal decomposition with G-phase precipitation during ageing. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 64, 2568–2576 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1857-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1857-3

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