Computational prediction of grain size during rapid laser surface modification of Al–O ceramic

The aim of this letter is to present a model including the fundamental non‐equilibrium effects to predict the microstructure evolution during the rapid solidification of laser surface modified Al–O ceramic system to understand grain growth and the physical process involved during the treatment. The obtained data is then compared with the actual measurements from micrographs. This approach is novel compared to other work in the similar field which have looked at the process only at the macroscopic level that included the extractions of macroscopic features such as melt depth and width. Such study is important as laser surface modification can be extended to dressing of alumina grinding wheel material, a part of the Al–O ceramic system. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)