Predicting concurrent structural mechanical mechanisms during microstructure evolution

The interdependence between structural mechanics and microstructure solidification has been widely observed experimentally as a factor leading to undesirable macroscopic properties and casting defects. Despite this, numerical modelling of microstructure solidification often neglects this interaction and is therefore unable to predict key mechanisms such as the development of misoriented grains. This paper presents a numerical method coupling a finite volume structural mechanics solver to a cellular automata solidification solver, where gravity or pressure-driven displacements alter the local orientation and thereby growth behaviour of the solidifying dendrites. Solutions obtained using this model are presented which show fundamental behaviours observed in experiments. The results show that small, localized deformations can lead to significant changes in the crystallographic orientation of a dendrite and ultimately affect the overall microstructure development. This article is part of the theme issue 'Transport phenomena in complex systems (part 2)'.

Automated summary

The interdependence between structural mechanics and microstructure solidification plays a crucial role in determining macroscopic properties and casting defects. However, current numerical models often neglect this interaction, resulting in the inability to predict important mechanisms such as the development of misoriented grains. This paper proposes a numerical method that couples a finite volume structural mechanics solver to a cellular automata solidification solver, allowing for accurate predictions of microstructure development.