"Early-Stage Spinodal Decomposition: Literature Review" 

Sumantra Das, MSE PhD Candidate 

Advisor: Professor R Edwin García

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ABSTRACT

Spinodal decomposition is a phase transformation process in which a homogeneous alloy spontaneously decomposes into two or more phases without undergoing a thermodynamic barrier. The resulting microstructure exhibits a network structure of coexisting phases, which improves properties, such as enhanced mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties. Alloys undergoing spinodal decomposition have various engineering applications, namely high-strength structural alloys, alloys with improved magnetic coercivity, and high-damping capacity materials. To understand the process quantitatively, especially in its early stages, it is important to understand the thermodynamics and kinetics of the process and how they are being influenced by elastic and thermal effects. In this review, five representative models, namely Borelius Model of Immiscibility Gap, Hillert Model, Cahn–Hilliard Model, Cahn–Hilliard–Cook Model and Statistical Theory of Spinodal Decomposition, have been examined. This demonstrates how progressively incorporating effects, like gradient energy, coherency strains, and thermal noise, in successive models improves the description of spinodal decomposition