Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Spinodal decomposition in Fe-Cr alloys: experimental study at the atomic level and comparison with computer models: 3. Development of morphology

Journal Article · · Acta Metallurgica et Materialia
; ; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom). Dept. of Materials
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Metals and Ceramics Division
  3. Univ. of Sussex, Brighton (United Kingdom). School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

The fine-scale three-dimensional microstructures formed during spinodal decomposition in Fe-Cr alloys are characterized using two novel methods. In the first, a fractal analysis is used to characterize the interface between the phases and, in the second, the interconnectivity of the structure is determined from topology. It is found that the interface between Fe-rich {alpha} and Cr-enriched {alpha}{prime} regions in the experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations exhibit fractal behavior whereas the microstructures from the solution to the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook model do not. Topological methods are used to characterize the complex {alpha}{prime} microstructures in terms of the number of cavities and loops. The decrease in the number of large scale loops in the microstructure, during thermal aging, is shown to correlate with the increasing microstructural scale. The number of small scale loops is found to correlate with the complexity of the interface between the {alpha} and {alpha}{prime} regions.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
105986
Journal Information:
Acta Metallurgica et Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 43; ISSN 0956-7151; ISSN AMATEB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English