  A phase-field approach to the dynamics of liquid-solid interfaces that evolve
due to precipitation and/or dissolution is presented. For the purpose of
illustration and comparison with other methods, phase field simulations were
carried out assuming first order reaction (dissolution/precipitation) kinetics.
In contrast to solidification processes controlled by a temperature field that
is continuous across the solid/liquid interface (with a discontinuous
temperature gradient) precipitation/dissolution is controlled by a solute
concentration field that is discontinuous at the solid/liquid interface. The
sharp-interface asymptotic analysis of the phase-field equations for
solidification [Karma and Rappel, Phys. Rev. E57 (1998) 4342] has been modified
for precipitation/dissolution processes to demonstrate that the phase-field
equations converge to the proper sharp-interface limit. The mathematical model
has been validated for a one-dimensional precipitation/dissolution problem by
comparison with the analytical solution.
