Numerical testing of quantitative phase-field models with different polynomials for isothermal solidification in binary alloys

Quantitative phase-field models have been developed as feasible computational tools for solving the free-boundary problem in solidification processes. These models are constructed with some polynomials of the phase-field variable that describe variations of the physical quantities inside the diffuse interface. The accuracy of the simulation depends on the choice of the polynomials and such dependence is indispensable for high-performance computing and valuable for extending the range of applications of the model to several physical systems. However, little is known about the dependence of the accuracy on the choice of the polynomials. In this study, numerical testing is carried out for quantitative phase-field models with extensive sets of polynomials (24 different models) for isothermal solidification in binary alloys. It is demonstrated in two-dimensional simulations of dendritic growth that a specific set of polynomials must be employed to achieve high accuracy in the models with double-well and double-obstacle potentials. Both types of model with the best set of polynomials yield almost the same numerical accuracy. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved