Related papers: Geometry of triple junctions during grain boundary…
Grain boundaries (GBs) can be treated as two-dimensional (2-D) interfacial phases (also called 'complexions') that can undergo interfacial phase-like transitions. As bulk phase diagrams and calculation of phase diagram (CALPHAD) methods are…
Grain boundary (GB) segregation in magnesium (Mg) substantially influences its mechanical properties and performance. Atomic-scale modelling, typically using ab-initio or semi-empirical approaches, has mainly focused on GB segregation at…
Tricritical points separate continuous and discontinuous symmetry breaking transitions. They occur in a variety of physical systems and their mathematical models. A tricritical point is used to determine a liquid-solid phase transition line…
Intergranular fracture in polycrystals is often simulated by finite elements coupled to a cohesive-zone model for the interfaces, requiring cohesive laws for grain boundaries as a function of their geometry. We discuss three challenges in…
The study of defect phases is important for designing nanostructured metals and alloys. Grain boundaries (GBs) form one class of defects that directly influence materials properties, such as deformability and strength. At the same time,…
Most technologically useful materials are polycrystalline microstructures composed of a myriad of small monocrystalline grains separated by grain boundaries. The energetics and connectivities of grain boundaries play a crucial role in…
Microscopic models of the interaction between grain boundaries (GBs) and both dislocations and cracks are of importance in understanding the role of microstructure in altering the mechanical properties of a material. A recently developed…
Triple junctions, line defects formed by the intersection of different grain boundaries, exist within all polycrystalline materials. While it has long been recognized that triple junctions could play an important role in microstructural…
The accumulation of helium bubbles at grain boundaries (GBs) critically degrades the mechanical integrity of structural materials in nuclear reactors. While GBs act as sinks for radiation-induced defects, their inherent structural…
Computing the grain boundary (GB) counterparts to bulk phase diagrams represents an emerging research direction. Using a classical embrittlement model system Ga-doped Al alloy, this study demonstrates the feasibility of computing…
It is well known that the twinning is an important mode of plastic deformation in nanocrystalline materials. As a result, it is expected that the twin can interact with different grain boundaries (GBs) during the plastic deformation.…
At very fine grain sizes, grain boundary segregation can deviate from conventional behavior due to triple junction effects. While this issue has been addressed in prior work for substitutional alloys, here we develop a framework that…
We analyze the dislocation content of grain boundary (GB) phase junctions, i.e., line defects separating two different GB phases coexisting on the same GB plane. While regular GB disconnections have been characterized for a variety of…
The growing trend towards engineering interfacial complexion (or phase) transitions has been seen in the grain boundary and solid surface systems.Meanwhile, little attention has been paid to the chemically heterogeneous solid/liquid…
Graphene is well known for its extraordinary mechanical properties combining brittleness and ductility. While most mechanical studies of graphene focused on the strength and brittle fracture behavior, its ductility, plastic deformation, and…
Many systems where a liquid metal is in contact with a polycrystalline solid exhibit deep liquid grooves where the grain boundary meets the solid-liquid interface. For example, liquid Ga quickly penetrates deep into grain boundaries in Al,…
The properties of the interface between solid and melt are key to solidification and melting, as the interfacial free energy introduces a kinetic barrier to phase transitions. This makes solidification happen below the melting temperature,…
We discuss melting of alloys along grain boundaries as a free boundary problem for two moving solid-liquid interfaces. One of them is the melting front and the other is the solidification front. The presence of the triple junction plays an…
A numerical investigation of grain-boundary (GB) grooving by means of the Level Set (LS) method is carried out. GB grooving is emerging as a key element of electromigration drift in polycrystalline microelectronic interconnects, as…
We report a computational discovery of novel grain boundary structures and multiple grain boundary phases in elemental bcc tungsten. While grain boundary structures created by the \gamma-surface method as a union of two perfect half…