Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of microalloying effect in Al-Ag alloys

The kinetic Monte Carlo method, which based on the Multi-States Ising Model, was applied to simulate the effect of microelements on the microstructural evolution of Al-Ag alloys during initial aging stage. The simulation results suggest that the microelements In, Sn and Be have a dramatic depression effect on the Ag clustering because of their strong tendency to co-existed with vacancies. There are no significant effects on the process of Ag clustering in Al-Ag alloys containing Li or Cd, because of little interaction between Li/Cd and Ag/vacancies. Microelements can influence the aging by interacting with vacancies and the atoms of precipitated composition, in which the former seems more important. In this model, “vacancy-locking” and “vacancy clusters” are two important mechanisms in the aging process.