Phase Field Analysis of Eutectic Breakdown

In this article, an isotropic multi-phase-field model is extended to include the effects of anisotropy and the spontaneous nucleation of an absent phase. This model is derived and compared against a published single-phase model. Results from this model are compared against results from other multiphase models; additionally, this model is used to examine the breakdown of a regular two-dimensional eutectic into a single-phase dendritic front.
This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Solidification Modeling and Microstructure Formation: in Honor of Prof. John Hunt,” which occurred March 13–15, 2006 during the TMS Spring Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, under the auspices of the TMS Materials Processing and Manufacturing Division, Solidification Committee.