Interplay of Capillary and Elastic Driving Forces During Microstructural Evolution: Applications of a Digital Image Model.
Interplay of Capillary and Elastic Driving Forces During
Microstructural Evolution: Applications of a Digital
Image Model.
(209 K)
Bullard, J. W.; Garboczi, E. J.; Carter, W. C.
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 83, No. 8, 4477-4486,
April 15, 1998.
Keywords:
microstructural evolution; mass transport; capillary
driving forces; elastic driving forces
Abstract:
A recently developed model of curvature-driven,
two-dimensional microstructure evolution is modified to
include elastic strain energy at solid-fluid interfaces
as an additional driving force for mass transport.
Local phase distributions within a digital image of the
microstructure are used to interpolate an isopotential
contour that represents the equivalent sharp surface,
along which local properties such as curvature are
calculated. To determine the strain energy
distribution, a finite element method is employed, using
the pixel grid as the mesh.
Interface-reaction-controlled mass transport is
simulated using a finite difference approach along the
interface. Calculations of the strain energy density and
chemical potential distributions within simple systems
show reasonable agreement with analytical results, and
the predicted stability and evolution of such systems
also agree with the predictions of other investigators.
The model is also applied to a more complex system for
which neither analytical nor other numerical methods can
be readily used, and useful quantitative information is
obtained on the energetics and structural changes.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899