Large-Scale Simulation of Coarsening of Misfitting Particles

 

Abstract

We present the results from two-dimensional simulations of Ostwald ripening of second-phase particles in an elastically anisotropic, homogeneous system with cubic symmetry. We utilize advanced numerical methods such as the fast multipole method to include a large number of particles to provide sufficient statistics. Calculated microstructures exhibit experimentally observed features like particle alignment and four- and two-fold symmetric particles. We characterize the microstructure evolution through analyses of the particle morphology, the size distribution, and the spatial distribution. Although the evolution of the system is not self similar, there is strong evidence that the system, including its kinetics, is approximately characterized by the ratio between the elastic energy and the interfacial energy. At high volume fractions, particle separations become so small that coalescence is possible. We discuss a new method to implement coalescence effects into the boundary integral code.