Phase-field modeling of multi-component systems

A review surveying the developments in the application of the phase-field method in the study of phase transitions and microstructure evolution in multi-component systems is presented. Starting with a brief description of historical developments in the modelling method, we continue to take a tour into the applications of the method, both, in the understanding of the physical phenomena behind structure formation and the investigation of the problems relevant for the processing of technically important alloys. An outlook on the future applications of the method and the related challenges is put forth.