Computer simulation of anisotropic grain growth

The process of anisotropic grain growth driven by anisotropic grain boundary energies is investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. A new model is developed for describing the anisotropy of grain boundary energies. This model divides the microstructure into minimum elements which are labeled by different orientation numbers. The surfaces of each minimum element are associated with surface energies for a given orientation and are determined from a Wulff plot. The grain boundary energy is then calculated from the energies of the two surfaces meeting at the boundary and the binding energy of the grain boundary. The possibility of anisotropic grain growth is explored for different shapes of Wulff plot.