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J. Zenisek, E. Kozeschnik, J. Svoboda, F.D. Fischer:
"Modelling the role of compositional fluctuations in nucleation kinetics";
Acta Materialia, 91 (2015), 91; 365 - 376.

The classical nucleation theory of precipitate nucleation in interstitial/substitutional alloys is applied to account for the influence of spatial
A-B composition fluctuations in an A-B-C matrix on the kinetics of nucleation of (A,B)3C precipitates. A and B are substitutional elements in the
matrix and C is an interstitial component, assumed to preferentially bind to B atoms. All lattice sites are considered as potential nucleation sites. The
fluctuations of chemical composition result in a local variation of the nucleation probability. The nucleation sites are eliminated from the system if
they are located in a C-depleted diffusion zone belonging to an already nucleated and growing precipitate. The chemistry is that of an Fe-Cr-C system,
and the specific interface energy is treated as a free parameter. Random, regular and homogeneous A-B distributions in the matrix are simulated
and compared for various values of the interface energy. An increasing enhancement of the role of compositional fluctuations on nucleation kinetics
with increasing interface energy and decreasing chemical driving force is observed.

Kinetics; Nucleation and growth; Precipitates; Interface energy; Fluctuations of chemical composition

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/12.031