Evaluation of lamellar spacing selection in eutectic alloys using phase field model

In this work, the phase field model is applied to a study of regular eutectic alloys grown by directional solidification. The numerical solution of the equations allows one to obtain the lamellar eutectic microstructure for certain growth conditions. We consider, here, the case of the CBr4–C2Cl6 system, which is studied experimentally in the literature insofar as the morphological characteristics of its growth and its physical properties are concerned. The model developed here allows one to obtain interfacial patterns which display interfacial curvature effects, distribution of solute in the liquid, lamellar terminations and oscillatory instabilities. The relation between the lamellar spacing and the growth rate is found by comparing it with that predicted experimentally as well as by other simulation methods. The results indicate the possibility of using the phase field model in the qualitative and quantitative study of processes involving phase transformations in materials engineering and science.