A phase field model for simulating the precipitation of multi-variant β-Mg17Al12 in Mg–Al-based alloys

A phase field model for simulating the precipitation of multi-variant β-Mg17Al12 phase during the aging process of Mg–Al-based alloys was developed in which the interface anisotropy and the elastic strain energy were taken into account. A special numerical technique based on a hexagonal and an orthogonal mesh was employed to deal with the precipitate orientation and calculate the elastic strain energy. The model reveals the contribution of the interface anisotropy and the elastic strain energy in the evolution of the precipitates.