SIMULATION OF METAL SOLIDIFICATION USING A CELLULAR-AUTOMATON

The solidification of a hypothetical liquid was studied by means of simulations conducted using a cellular automaton. Construction and operation of the automaton are described. The effects of varying the temperatures of the liquid and solid phases, the freezing point, the velocity of dendrite growth relative to thermal diffusion, the latent heat, and the probability of nucleation within the bulk of the liquid were examined. Simulated microstructures are shown, and an attempt to assess these quantitatively has been made using parameters such as the roughness of the solid-liquid interface, the depth of the ''slushy'' zone, and the average width of a columnar grain. The applications of cellular automata in general are also briefly reviewed. It is concluded that the model described is able to realistically simulate several aspects of solidification.