The applicability of a material is ascertained by exhaustively comprehending its behaviour in a given thermodynamic condition. This behaviour, which is objectively presented as the properties of a material, is predominantly dictated by the microstructure. Therefore, processing techniques are meticulously devised to render the necessary phase transformations that yield the desired properties by establishing appropriate microstructures. Moreover, as opposed to this bottom-up approach of understanding the microstructural evolution for its influence on the properties, a material failure can be explicated, in a top-down routine, by analysing the corresponding transformations at the mesoscopic length scale. 

Theoretical techniques have always complemented experimental observations in expounding the microstructural evolution which ultimately effects the behaviour of the material. Particularly, owing to its versatility, the phase-field approach has increasingly been involved in delineating several complex transformation. In this symposium, advancements in the phase-field modelling and critical insights gained by adopting this numerical technique, which complement the experimental observations, will be discussed.

In this context, the symposium will focus on

• Mutliphysics phase-field models in both generalised and application-oriented frameworks. This includes, but is not limited to, elasto-plastic, chemo-mechanical, magneto-elastic and electro-mechanical models.
• Advancements in modelling fracture and other mechanically induced evolutions like deformation twinning, Kinks and phase-changes in polycrystals.
• Complex transformations involving multiphase multicomponent system, polycrystalline setups, duplex microstructures and material-specific conditions.
• Simulation studies encompassing a wide range of highly applicable materials and associated transformations.
• Optimised incorporation of quantitative data (or databases) like CALPHAD.
• Model extensions directed to enhance the computational efficiency and numerical stability.
• Diffusion-governed and displacive phase transformations.
• Energy-minimising evolutions like grain growth, spheroidization and other forms of shape instabilities.

In addition to the aforementioned aspects, the symposium welcomes relevant theoretical studies on functional materials including biomaterials, battery materials, high-entropy alloys and nuclear materials.

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Symposium Organizer

Prof. Benoit Appolaire
Institut Jean Lamour

Dr. Alphonse Finel
ONERA

Prince Gideon Kubendran Amos
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Dr.-Ing. Yann Le Bouar
CNRS/ONERA

Prof. Dr. Britta Nestler
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Daniel Schneider
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Ephraim Schoof
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)