Diffusion-Induced Grain Boundary Migration and Role of Defects

Abstract

AbstractA model is presented to explain various aspects of diffusion-induced grain boundary migration (DIGM). The driving energies of DIGM are identified as the free energy of mixing and the interface free energy, the former being predominant in most cases of DIGM. The grain boundary migrates due to thermally activated motion of atoms across the interface under the influence of the driving energies. An expression for the velocity of migration is derived. It is shown that this depends parabolically on the solute concentration, in agreement with experimental observations in the case of liquid film migration (LFM), which is analogous to DIGM. Furthermore, the velocity is proportional to lattice diffusivity ahead of the boundary. Recent results of enhancement of DIGM by ion bombardment is explained by radiation-enhanced lattice diffusivity due to introduction of point defects by the ions. The model also explains that diffusion-induced recrystallization (DIR) is due to a free energy decrease associated with the transformation from the amorphous phase in the grain boundary layer to the crystalline phase.