Numerical simulations of the phase separation properties for the thermal aged CDSS with Phase Field Model

Abstract: Experiments and numerical simulations with Phase Field Model and Finite Element Analysis were carried out to investigate the phase separation dynamic properties and the corresponding thermal aging degradation mechanism. Experimental results from transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy show that thermal aging causes the Cr-rich phase precipitate and form clusters. A phase field dynamic model was developed with constitutive relations and empirical potential functions to investigate the phase separation dynamics in the ferrite phase. Numerical results integrated with cell dynamical system method show clearly the micro structure morphology and the phase separation coarsening with aging time. The evolution process of the phase separation was quantitatively illustrated and reproduced macroscopically. The scattering pattern becomes clearer and the corresponding radius becomes smaller along with the increasing aging time. The average characteristic length increases firstly then decreases and enters a more stable stage. With the increment of the local Cr concentration, the evolution of the phase morphology was quite different. Finite Element Analysis simulation results with the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman void model show that the damage initiated more easily in the ferrite matrix for the Cr atoms forming clusters with increasing aging time. The phenomenological simulations with Phase Field Model and Finite Element Analysis were in remarkably good agreement with experimental results and analytical considerations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]