Analysis on high-temperature oxidation and growth stress of iron-based alloy using phase field method

High-temperature oxidation is an important property to evaluate thermal protection materials. However, since oxidation is a complex process involving microstructure evolution, its quantitative analysis has always been a challenge. In this work, a phase field method （PFM） based on the thermodynamics theory is developed to simulate the oxidation behavior and oxidation induced growth stress. It involves microstructure evolution and solves the problem of quantitatively computational analysis for the oxidation behavior and growth stress. Employing this method, the diffusion process, oxidation performance, and stress evolution axe predicted for Fe-Cr-A1-Y alloys. The numerical results agree well with the experimental data. The linear relationship between the maximum growth stress and the environment oxygen concentration is found. PFM provides a powerful tool to investigate high-temperature oxidation in complex environments.

Phase field modeling of dendrite growth

Single dendrite and multi-dendrite growth for Al-2 mol pct Si alloy during isothermal solidification are simulated by phase field method. In the case of single equiaxed dendrite growth, the secondary and the necking phenomenon can be observed. For multi-dendrite growth, there exists the competitive growth among the dendrites during solidification. As solidification proceeds, growing and coarsening of the primary arms occurs, together with the branching and coarsening of the secondary arms. When the diffusion fields of dendrite tips come into contact with those of the branches growing from the neighboring dendrites, the dendrites stop growing and being to ripen and thicken.

Phase-field simulation of dendritic growth in a binary alloy with thermodynamics data

This paper simulates the dendrite growth process during non-isothermal solidification in the Al-Cu binary alloy by using the phase-field model. The heat transfer equation is solved simultaneously. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters are directly obtained from existing database by using the Calculation of Phase Diagram （CALPHAD） method. The effects of the latent heat and undercooling on the dendrite growth, solute and temperature profile during the solidification of binary alloy are investigated. The results indicate that the dendrite growing morphologies could be simulated realistically by linking the phase-field method to CALPHAD. The secondary arms of solidification dendritic are better developed with the increase of undercooling. Correspondingly, the tip speed and the solute segregation in solid-liquid interface increase, but the tip radius decreases.

Phase-field simulation of dendritic growth for binary alloys with complicate solution models

A phase-field method for simulation of dendritic growth in binary alloys with complicate solution models was studied. The free energy densities of solid and liquid used to construct the free energy of a solidification system in the phase-field model were derived from the Calphad thermodynamic modeling of phase diagram. The dendritic growth of Ti-Al alloy with a quasi-sub regular solution model was simulated in both an isothermal and a non-isothermal regime. In the isothermal one, different initial solute compositions and melt temperatures were chosen. And in the non-isothermal one, release of latent heat during solidification was considered. Realistic growth patterns of dendrite are derived. Both the initial compositions and melt temperatures affect isothermal dendritic morphology and solute distributions much, especially the latter. Release of latent heat will cause a less developed structure of dendrite and a lower interfacial composition.

Numerical Simulations of Equiaxed Dendrite Growth Using Phase Field Method

Phase field method offers the prospect of being able to perform realistic numerical experiments on dendrite growth in a metallic system. In this paper, the equiaxed dendrite evolution during the solidification of a pure material was numerically simulated using the phase field model. The equiaxed dendrite growth in a two-dimensional square domain of undercooled melt (nickel) with four-fold anisotropy was simulated. The phase field model equations was solved using the explicit finite difference method on a uniform mesh. The formation of various equiaxed dendrite patterns was shown by a series of simulations, and the effect of anisotropy on equiaxed dendrite morphology was investigated.

Association of host plant growth and weed occurrence with armyworm(Mythimna separata) damage in corn fields

To clarify association between armyworm（Mythimna separata） damage level and the corn growth and weed occurrence, we investigated corn plant height, stem diameter and vigor as well as weed coverage and biomass. The investigations were conducted at three locations of Shaanxi Province, China which were suffered seriously from armyworm. Significant correlations were found between the parameters analyzed. At stunted corn growth and presence of plenty of weeds, the armyworm damage tended to be heavy; oppositely, when corn grew well and weed density were low, armyworm harm was the minimal. Therefore, corn growing status and weed density can significantly affect armyworm damage level. Our results imply that promoting corn growth and timely removal of weeds are conducive to reducing armyworm occurrence.

A numerical study on pattern selection in crystal growth by using anisotropic lattice Boltzmann-phase field method

Pattern selection during crystal growth is studied by using the anisotropic lattice Boltzmann-phase field model.In the model,the phase transition,melt flows,and heat transfer are coupled and mathematically described by using the lattice Boltzmann(LB)scheme.The anisotropic streaming-relaxation operation fitting into the LB framework is implemented to model interface advancing with various preferred orientations.Crystal pattern evolutions are then numerically investigated in the conditions of with and without melt flows.It is found that melt flows can significantly influence heat transfer,crystal growth behavior,and phase distributions.The crystal morphological transition from dendrite,seaweed to cauliflower-like patterns occurs with the increase of undercoolings.The interface normal angles and curvature distributions are proposed to quantitatively characterize crystal patterns.The results demonstrate that the distributions are corresponding to crystal morphological features,and they can be therefore used to describe the evolution of crystal patterns in a quantitative way.

FEM simulations and experimental studies of the temperature field in a large diamond crystal growth cell

We investigate the temperature field variation in the growth region of a diamond crystal in a sealed cell during the whole process of crystal growth by using the temperature gradient method （TGM） at high pressure and high temperature （HPHT）. We employ both the finite element method （FEM） and in situ experiments. Simulation results show that the temperature in the center area of the growth cell continues to decrease during the process of large diamond crystal growth. These results are in good agreement with our experimental data, which demonstrates that the finite element model can successfully predict the temperature field variations in the growth cell. The FEM simulation will be useful to grow larger high-quality diamond crystal by using the TGM. Furthermore, this method will be helpful in designing better cells and improving the growth process of gem-quality diamond crystal.

Numerical Simulation of Two-Dimensional Dendritic Growth Using Phase-Field Model

In this article, we study the phase-field model of solidification for numerical simulation of dendritic crystal growth that occurs during the casting of metals and alloys. Phase-field model of solidification describes the physics of dendritic growth in any material during the process of under cooling. The numerical procedure in this work is based on finite difference scheme for space and the 4th-order Runge-Kutta method for time discretization. The effect of each physical parameter on the shape and growth of dendritic crystal is studied and visualized in detail.

3D anisotropy simulation of dendrites growth with phase field method

The anisotropy problem of 3D phase-field model was studied,and various degrees of anisotropy were simulated by numerical calculation method.The results show that with the change of interface anisotropy coefficients,from smooth transition to the appearance of angle,equilibrium crystals shape morphology has a critical value,and 3D critical value is 0.3.The growth of dendrites is stable and the interface is smooth when it is less than critical value;the interface is unstable,rolling edge appears and the growth is discontinuous when it is more than critical value.With the increase of anisotropy coefficients,the dendrites grow faster under the same condition.

Preparation and growth mechanism of nickel nanowires under applied magnetic field

Nickel nanowires with large aspect ratio of up to 300 have been prepared by a hydrazine hydrate reduction method under applied magnetic field. The diameter of nickel nanowires is about 200 nm and length up to 60 μm. The role of magnetic field on the growth of magnetic nanowires is discussed and a magnetic nanowire growth mechanism has been proposed. Nickel ions are firstly reduced to nickel atoms by hydrazine hydrates in a strong alkaline solution and grow into tiny spherical nanoparticles. Then, these magnetic particles will align under a magnetic force and form linear chains. Furthermore, the as-formed chains can enhance the local magnetic field and attract other magnetic particles nearby, resulting finally as linear nanowires. The formation and the size of nanowires depend strongly on the magnitude of applied magnetic field.

Faceting transitions in crystal growth and heteroepitaxial growth in the anisotropic phase-field crystal model

We modify the anisotropic phase-field crystal model （APFC）, and present a semi-implicit spectral method to numerically solve the dynamic equation of the APFC model. The process results in the acceleration of computations by orders of magnitude relative to the conventional explicit finite-difference scheme, thereby, allowing us to work on a large system and for a long time. The faceting transitions introduced by the increasing anisotropy in crystal growth are then discussed. In particular, we investigate the morphological evolution in heteroepitaxial growth of our model. A new formation mechanism of misfit dislocations caused by vacancy trapping is found. The regular array of misfit dislocations produces a small-angle grain boundary under the right conditions, and it could significantly change the growth orientation of epitaxial layers.

No-catalyst growth of vertically-aligned AlN nanocone field electron emitter arrays with high emission performance at low temperature

The A1N nanostructures with a wide band-gap of 6.28 eV are considered as ideal cold cathode materials because of their low electron-affinity. Many methods have been devoted to fabricating A1N nanostructures, but high growth temperature over 800℃ and the use of the catalysts in most methods limit their practical application and result in their poor field-emission behaviours in uniformity. This paper reports that without any catalysts, a simple chemical vapour deposition method is used to synthesize aligned A1N nanocone arrays at 550℃ on silicon substrate or indium tin oxide glass. Field emission measurements show that these nanocones prepared at low temperature have an average turn-on field of 6 V/μm and a threshold field of 11.7 V/μm as well as stable emission behaviours at high field, which suggests that they have promising applications in field emission area.

Phase-field simulation of competitive growth of grains in a binary alloy during directional solidification

Taking Al-2%mole-Cu binary alloy as an example, the influence of grain orientation on competitive growth of dendrites under different competitive modes was investigated by using the three-dimensional(3-D) phasefield method. The result of phase-field simulation was verified by applying cold spray and directional remelting. In the simulation process, two competitive modes were designed: in Scheme 1, the monolayer columnar grains in multilayer columnar crystals had different orientations; while in Scheme 2, they had the same orientation. The simulation result showed that in Scheme 1, the growth of the dendrites, whose orientation had a certain included angle with the direction of temperature gradient, was restrained by the growth of other dendrites whose direction was parallel to the direction of temperature gradient. Moreover, the larger the included angle between the grain orientation and temperature gradient, the earlier the cessation of dendrite growth. The secondary dendrites of dendrites whose grain orientation was parallel to the temperature gradient flourished with increasing included angles between the grain orientation and temperature gradient. In Scheme 2, the greater the included angle between grain orientation and temperature gradient, the easier the dendrites whose orientation showed a certain included angle with temperature gradient inserted between those grew parallel to the temperature gradient, and the better the growth condition thereafter. Some growing dendrites after intercalation were deflected to the temperature gradient, and the greater the included angle, the lower the deflection. The morphologies of the competitive growth dendrites obtained through simulation can also be found in metallographs of practical solidification experiments. This implies that the two modes of competitive growth of dendrites characterized in the simulation do exist and frequently appear in practical solidification processes.

Model for Methane Emission from Rice Fields and Its Application in Southern China

A process model has been developed. The model has been used to calculate the methane emission from rice fields. The influence of climate conditions, field water management, organic fertilizers and soil types on methane emission from rice fields are considered. There are three major segments which are highly interactive in nature in the model:rice growth, decomposition of soil organic matter and methane production, transport efficiency and methane emission rate. Explicit equations for modeling each segment mentioned above are given. The main results of the model are: 1. The seasonal variation of methane emission of the model output agrees with that of field experiments. The deviation of seasonal average methane emission rate between modeled value and experimental data is about 10%. 2. In the whole rice growing period, model output is similar to experimental data in the seasonal variation of transport ability of rice plant. 3. Soil organic matter content and soil physics and chemistry are major factors that determine the total season average emission rate, while soil temperature controls the temporal variation of methane emission from rice fields.

SOLIDIFICATION OF NICKEL-BASED SINGLE CRYSTAL SUPERALLOY BY ELECTRIC FIELD

The crystal growth of a nickel-based single crystal superalloy DD3 was researched via controlled directional solidification under the action of a DC electric field. The cellular or dendrite spacing of the single crystal superalloy is refined and microsegregation of alloying elements Al, Ti, Mo and W, is reduced by the electric field. The electric field decreases the interface stability and reduces the critical growth rate of the ceUular-dendritic translation because of Thomson effect and Joule heating. The precipitation of the γ＇ phase is more uniform and the size of the γ＇ phase is smaller with the electric field than that without the electric field.

Phase-field simulations of solidification of Al-Cu binary alloys

The dendrite growth process during the solidification of the Al-4.5%Cu binary alloy was simulated using the phase-field model, proposed by Kim et al. Solute diffusion equation and heat transfer equation were solved simultaneously. The effects of the noise on the dendrite growth, solute and temperature profile in the undercooled alloy melt were investigated. The results indicate that the noise can trigger the growth of the secondary arms, and increase the highest temperature and solute concentration, but not influence the tip operating state. The solute and temperature gradients in the tip are the highest.

Numerical simulation of recalescence of 3-dimensional isothermal solidification for binary alloy using phase-field approach

A accelerated arithmetic algorithm of the dynamic computing regions was designed,and 3-dimensional numerical simulation of isothermal solidification for a binary alloy was implemented.The dendritic growth and the recalescence of Ni-Cu binary alloy during the solidification at different cooling rates were investigated.The effects of cooling rate on dendritic patterns and microsegregation patterns were studied.The computed results indicate that,with the increment of the cooling rate,the dendritic growth velocity increases,both the main branch and side-branches become slender,the secondary dendrite arm spacing becomes smaller,the inadequate solute diffusion in solid aggravates,and the severity of microsegregation ahead of interface aggravates.At a higher cooling rate,the binary alloy presents recalescence;while the cooling rate is small,no recalescence occurs.

Factors influencing improvement of visual field after trans-sphenoidal resection of pituitary macroadenomas:a retrospective cohort study

AIM: To investigate the influencing factors of visual field improvement after trans-sphenoidal resection of pituitary macroadenomas. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 201 patients (366 eyes) with visual field defect induced by pituitary macroadenomas. All of them were treated with trans-sphenoidal surgery. Ophthalmologic evaluation, best -corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and visual field examination were performed before and 3mo after surgery. BCVA, visual field defect index mean deviation (MD), duration of symptoms, age, sex, and volume of tumors were compared. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Ki-67 of tumor tissue were detected by immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 44.23 +/- 1.29y. Ninety -three patients were female and 108 were male. The mean tumor volume was 14.36 +/- 6.23 cm(3). The mean duration of preoperative symptoms was 11.50 +/- 0.88mo. Mean preoperative MD was -17.50 +/- 0.82 dB. Mean Preoperative visual acuity was 0.64 +/- 0.04. Postoperative visual field improved in 270 (73.77%) eyes, unchanged in 96 (26.23%) eyes. Multivariate logistic regression displayed that the factors independently influencing visual field improvement were young age (OR=1.71, 95%CI: 1.325-2.387, P=0.013), low preoperative MD absolute value (OR=1.277, 95%CI: 1.205-1.355, P<0.001), small volume of tumor (OR=1.458, 95%CI: 1.060-4.289, P<0.001), low expression of VEGF in tumor tissue (OR=1.554, 95%CI: 1.089-2.457, P=0.022), and low expression of Ki-67 in tumor tissue (OR=1.552, 95%CI: 1.161-2.847, P=0.026). CONCLUSION: After pituitary macroadenomas trans sphenoidal resection, the independent influencing factors of the visual fields recovery were low preoperative MD absolute value, young age, small volume of tumor, and expression levels of VEGF/Ki-67.

Characteristics Analysis of Extreme Circulation at 500 hPa of Height Field in Eurasian Region during Recent 20 Years

[ Objective] The research aimed to analyze extreme circulation characteristics at 500 hPa of height field in Eurasian region in recent 20 years. [ Method ] Based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis daily data at 500 hPa of height field from 1961 to 2009 of Eurasia （15° -80° N, 40° -150° E）, seasonal and monthly change situations of extreme circulation in Eurasia were studied by the method of climatologically equally likely intervals （ CE- Ll）. [Result] Growth rate of extremely low circulation increased in Eurasia in the last 20 years, but the rise amplitude was smaller. In the middle of China and Mongolia, grow rate change of extremely low circulation was the smallest. The growth rates of extremely high circulation in spring, au- tumn and winter gradually decreased as latitude rose. The maximum growth rate of extremely high circulation in summer was in Qinghai -Tibet Plat- eau, which corresponded with the climate characteristics of summer subtropical high going northward and then retreating southward. By contrasting the growth rates of extremely low and high circulation, it was clear that the growth rate of high circulation was higher than that of the low circulation. [Conusion] The research could be as a reference for studying change characteristics of the extreme climate event in China.