A cellular automaton model for predicting intergranular corrosion

The cellular automata (CA) methodology is applied to the case of intergranular corrosion. Appropriate CA rules are generated which can reproduce and predict the advance of a corrosion front. The proposed model shows qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental intergranular corrosion data obtained from an aluminium AA2024 alloy in chloride solutions.

► Cellular automata allows new approach to simulating intergranular corrosion.
► Intergranular corrosion of ‘real’ microstructures is simulated in 3D.
► Diffusion processes are modelled using a random walk process.
► Differential evolution algorithm is used to calibrate the adjustable parameters.
► Cellular automata may be further modified to include additional physical phenomena.