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Updated: May 31, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Formation of a metastable phase due to the presence of impurities
1Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK.
Abstract:
Phase transitions into a new phase that is itself metastable are common; instead of the equilibrium phase nucleating, a metastable phase does so. When this occurs the system is sometimes said to be obeying Ostwald's rule. We show how this can happen when there are impurities present that reduce the barrier to heterogeneous nucleation of the metastable phase. We do so by studying a Potts lattice model using Monte Carlo simulation. Thus, which phase forms depends not only on the properties of the different phases but also on the impurities present. Understanding why systems obey Ostwald's rule may therefore require a study of the impurities present.
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