Computer simulation of 3-D grain growth using a phase-field model

The kinetics and topology of grain growth in three dimensions are simulated using a phase-field model of an ideal polycrystal with uniform grain-boundary mobilities and energies. Through a dynamic grain-orientation-reassignment routine, the computational algorithm avoids grain growth via coalescence, thus eliminating the dependence of the simulation results on the number of order parameters implemented in the phase-field description of the polycrystalline microstructure. Consequently, far fewer order-parameter values must be computed than in previous formulations of the phase-field model, which permits handling simulation cells large enough to contain a statistically significant number of grains. The kinetic and topological properties of the microstructure induced by coarsening closely resemble those obtained by other methods for simulating coalescence-free grain growth in 3D.