Computer simulation of 2D grain growth using a cellular automata model based on the lowest energy principle

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2006-08, Vol.429 (1), p.236-246
• Main Authors: He, Yizhu, Ding, Hanlin, Liu, Liufa, Shin, Keesam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cellular automata; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Grain growth; Kinetics; Lowest energy principle; Materials science; Physics; Treatment of materials and its effects on microstructure and properties
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2006.05.070

The morphology, topology and kinetics of normal grain growth in two-dimension were studied by computer simulation using a cellular automata (CA) model based on the lowest energy principle. The thermodynamic energy that follows Maxwell–Boltzmann statistics has been introduced into this model for the calculation of energy change. The transition that can reduce the system energy to the lowest level is chosen to occur when there is more than one possible transition direction. The simulation results show that the kinetics of normal grain growth follows the Burke equation with the growth exponent m = 2. The analysis of topology further indicates that normal grain growth can be simulated fairly well by the present CA model. The vanishing of grains with different number of sides is discussed in the simulation.