Numerical Studies of Precipitate Coarsening Phenomena

Abstract

A three-dimensional Monte Carlo computer program is used to study the time-dependent coarsening of a precipitate population in a solid. The emphasis is on the influence of the escape rate of solute atoms from a precipitate on the coarsening behavior. Three models for the escape attempt frequency are compared. The time when coarsening is observed and the extent of coarsening depend on the model as does the percentage of solute precipitated in a given time. The qualitative results of the present calculations are compared with earlier findings.