Triple junction distributions in polycrystals
Recently, it has been demonstrated that some material properties can be enhanced by grain boundary engineering, i.e., the systematic modifications in the topology of the microstructure through thermomechanical processing. Experimental observations have shown that the microstructural parameter likely responsible for improved properties is the grain boundary character distribution (GBCD). It has been suggested that improvements in the fractions of special boundaries as defined by the coincident site lattice model (1) are necessary, but not fully sufficient to cause property improvements. For example, it has been observed that cracks propagating along interconnected networks of random grain boundaries can be arrested (2) when intersecting a triple junction where the remaining two pathways are special boundaries. Therefore, it is of interest to characterize microstructures in terms of the distributions of triple junction types. A simple method to describe a triple junction is by the types of grain boundaries intersecting at that junction [special vs. random, as described by the coincident site lattice (CSL) model]. The distribution of 0-CSL, 1-CSL, 2-CSL and 3-CSL triple junctions in the microstructure can then be plotted as a function of the fraction of special boundaries. Such data has been collected using orientation-imaging microscopy (OIM) (3--5) for oxygen-free-electronic (ofe)-Cu and Inconel 600 over a range of special fraction of grain boundaries. These results have been compared with theoretical models considering isolated triple junctions and invoking the {Sigma}-product rule (6) where {Sigma} is the inverse density of coincident lattice sites (7).
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Livermore, CA (US); Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 20014204
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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