NUCLEATION AND GROWTH VERSUS SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION IN FE-CR ALLOYS -MOSSBAUER-EFFECT MODELING

Various quantities pertinent to the Fe-57 Mossbauer effect were calcul ated assuming that the decomposition in Fe-Cr alloys, leading to the m iscibility gap, occurs either via nucleation and growth or via spinoda l decomposition. A comparison shows that Mossbauer spectroscopy is pot entially able to mark the difference between the two regimes of decomp osition. The most pronounced difference, hence the highest chance to d istinguish between them, is predicted to occur at middle stages of dec omposition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.