Nucleation and growth versus spinodal decomposition in Fe-Cr alloys: Mossbauer-effect modelling

Various quantities pertinent to the Fe-57 Mossbauer effect were calculated assuming that the decomposition in Fe-Cr alloys, leading to the miscibility gap, occurs either via nucleation and growth or via spinodal decomposition. A comparison shows that Mossbauer spectroscopy is potentially able to mark the difference between the two regimes of decomposition. The most pronounced difference, hence the highest chance to distinguish between them, is predicted to occur at middle stages of decomposition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.