Simulation of nucleation and coalescence of second phase droplets during earth-based solidification process of immiscible alloys

The solidified microstructure of immiscible alloys strongly depends on the nucleation, diffusional growth, especially the coalescence of the second phase droplets in the miscibility gap. A numerical model based on the discrete multi-particle approach was developed to simulate the nucleation and coalescence mode of the second phase droplets during the earth-based processing of immiscible alloys (in this case, the effect of gravity cannot be neglected). The cooling rate is the major factor influencing the coalescence mode. Under the super-rapid or rapid solidification condition (>104K/s), Brownian collision is the dominant coalescence mode. Marangoni collision becomes the dominant mode under the sub-rapid solidification condition (>102K/s). In the conventional slow cooling scope(101K/s), Stokes collision becomes the dominant coalescence mode, correspondingly, leading to a serious phase segregation.