Fast traveling waves in the phase-field theory: effective mobility approach versus kinetic energy approach

A phase-field model for small and large driving forces on solidification and melting of a pure substance or alloys is formulated. Derivations of the phase-field model are based on the effective mobility approach and on the kinetic energy approach to analyze fast phase transformation from metastable liquid to solid phase. A hodograph equation (an acceleration-velocity dependent equation of the Gibbs-Thomson type) which predicts the non-linear behavior in the velocity of the crystal-liquid interface is found at the large driving force on transformation and analyzed for different thermodynamic potentials. Traveling wave solutions of this equation are found for double-well and double-obstacle potentials. The velocity-dependent traveling waves as a function of driving force on transformation exhibit non-linearity of the solutions. Namely, in the relationship 'velocity-driving force' exists a maximum at a fixed undercooling which is very well known in the solidification of glass-forming metals and alloys. The predicted solidification velocity is quantitatively compared with the molecular dynamics simulation data obtained by Tang and Harrowell (2013 Nat. Mater. 12 507-11) for the solidification of congruently melting Cu-Zr binary alloy. The comparison confirms a crucial role of local non-equilibrium such as relaxation of gradient flow in the quantitative description of fast phase transformations.