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Grain Boundaries in Nanophase Materials and Conventional Polycrystals – Are They Distinct?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Abstract
Nanograined materials, with grain sizes in the range of 1–20 nm, exhibit significant enhancement of grain boundary dependent properties such as yield strength, intergranular fracture toughness, grain boundary diffusivity, specific heat and thermal expansion coefficient. Measurements by indirect techniques suggest that the grain boundaries in nanophase materials are structurally different from the boundaries in their conventional polycrystal counterparts. Exploratory HRTEM observations, on the other hand, indicate that the grain boundary structure in nanophase materials is the same as that found in grain boundaries in conventional polycrystals. This paper reports an HRTEM investigation of the microstructure in electrodeposited nanocrystalline (nc) Ni1wt.%P alloy. These observations reveal the presence of about 8-10 vol. % porosity in the microstructure. There is also evidence for the presence of an amorphous phase at some grain boundaries and triple junctions. A comparison of grain boundary structures with boundaries in conventional materials suggests that grain boundaries in the nc Ni-P alloy are, for the most part, normal.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994
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