Numerical Simulations of Equiaxed Dendrite Growth Using Phase Field Method

Phase field method offers the prospect of being able to perform realistic numerical experiments on dendrite growthin a metallic system. In this paper, the equiaxed dendrite evolution during the solidification of a pure material wasnumerically simulated using the phase field model. The equiaxed dendrite growth in a two-dimensional square domainof undercooled melt (nickel) with four-fold anisotropy was simulated. The phase field model equations was solvedusing the explicit finite difference method on a uniform mesh. The formation of various equiaxed dendrite patternswas shown by a series of simulations, and the effect of anisotropy on equiaxed dendrite morphology was investigated.