Abstract
We have studied the evolution of microstructure when a disordered ternary alloy is quenched into a ternary miscibility gap. We have used computer simulations based on multicomponent Cahn-Hilliard (CH) equations for c A and cB, the compositions (in mole fraction) of A and B, respectively. In this work, we present our results on the effect of relative interfacial energies on the temporal evolution of morphologies during spinodal phase separation of an alloy with average composition, cA = 1/4, cB = 1/4 and cc = 1/2. Interfacial energies between the ‘A’ rich, ‘B’ rich and ‘C’ rich phases are varied by changing the gradient energy coefficients. The phases associated with a higher interfacial energy are found to be more rounded than those with lower energy. Further, the kinetic paths (i.e. the history of A-rich, B-rich and C-rich regions in the microstructure) are also affected significantly by the relative interfacial energies of the three phases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bhattacharyya S 2002Phase separation in ternary alloys: A diffuse interface approach, M.Sc. (Engg.) Thesis, Department of Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (to be submitted)
Cahn J W and Hilliard J E 1958J. Chem. Phys. 28 258
Chen L Q 1994Acta Metall. Mater. 42 3503
Chen L Q and Shen J 1998Comput. Phys. Commun. 108 147
de Fontaine D 1972J. Phys. Chem. Solids 33 297
de Fontaine D 1973J. Phys. Chem. Solids 34 1285
Eyre D J 1995Mathematics of microstructure evolution (eds) L Q Chenet al (Ohio: TMS-SIAM) p. 367
Hilliard J E 1970Phase transformations (ed.) H I Aaronson (Metals Park, Ohio: ASM)
Hoyt J J 1989Acta Metall. 37 2489
Hoyt J J 1998Acta Mater. 47 345
Huang C, Olvera dela Cruz and Swift B W 1995Macromolecules 28 7996
Huang C, Olvera dela Cruz and Voorhees P W 1999Acta Mater. 17 4449
Kikuchi R 1997Acta Metall. 25 195
Kikuchi R, de Fontaine D, Murakami M and Nakamura T 1977Acta Metall. 25 207
Langer J S 1971Ann. Phys. 65 53
Langer J S 1973Acta Metall. 21 1649
Meijering J L 1950Philips Res. Rep. 5 333
Meijering JL 1951Philips Res. Rep. 6 183
Morral J E and Cahn J W 1971Acta Metall. 19 1037
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhattacharyya, S., Abinandanan, T.A. A study of phase separation in ternary alloys. Bull Mater Sci 26, 193–197 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02712812
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02712812