Tamás Pusztai1, László Rátkai1, Attila Szállás1, László Gránásy1,2
1Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, P.O. Box 49, Budapest H-1525, Hungary
2BCAST, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
The quantitative phase-field approach has been adapted to model solidification in the presence of Metal Matrix Nanocomposites (MMNCs) in a single-component liquid. Nanoparticles of fixedsize and shape are represented by additional fields. The corresponding equations of motion are assumed to ensure relaxation dynamics, and can be supplemented by random forces (realizing Brownian motion) or external fields. The nanoparticles are characterized by two model parameters: their mobility and the contact angle they realize with the solid-liquid interface. We investigate the question how grain size distribution can be influenced by heterogeneous nucleation on the nanoparticles and by the front-particle interaction. We explore, furthermore, how materials and process parameters, such as temperature, density and size/shape distribution of the nanoparticles, influence microstructure evolution.
