Simulation of recrystallization grain growth during re-aging process in the Cu-Ni-Si alloy based on phase field model

The micro structural evolution and the mechanism of recrystallization grain growth (GG) were studied during re-aging process in the Cu-Ni-Si alloy containing finely pre-aging delta-Ni2Si precipitates using computer simulations based on a diffuse-interface phase-field kinetic model, in which the temporal evolution of the spatially dependent field variables is determined by numerically solving the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations for the structural variables. The results show that the finely dispersed pre-aging delta-Ni2Si particles exert a strong pinning effect on the recrystallization grain boundaries (GB). Initially the GG accords with the power growth law with n between 0.3 and 0.4, followed by a gradual transition to growth stagnation. The final grain size follows a Zener type relation < R >= 1.41 * (r/f(a)(0.49)), with r the radius and f(a) the area fraction of the particles. The simulation results are compared with theoretical relations and previous simulation results. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.