Progress in Interfacial Thermodynamics and Grain Boundary Complexion Diagram
HU Biao1, ZHANG Huaqing2, ZHANG Jin1, YANG Mingjun2, DU Yong2(), ZHAO Dongdong3
1.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China 2.State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China 3.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Cite this article:
HU Biao, ZHANG Huaqing, ZHANG Jin, YANG Mingjun, DU Yong, ZHAO Dongdong. Progress in Interfacial Thermodynamics and Grain Boundary Complexion Diagram. Acta Metall Sin, 2021, 57(9): 1199-1214.
Grain boundaries (GBs), a crucial component of microstructures, have a significant influence on the properties of materials. The GB complexion (GBC) transitions are essential information to accurately explain numerous material phenomena. However, owing to the complexity of GB structures and the difficulty in observation of GBC transitions, there is still no direct evidence and mechanism explanation for these material phenomena. With the advancement of characterization equipment, especially spherical aberration-correction transmission electron microscopy, coupled with powerful computer simulation, the establishment of interfacial thermodynamic models to construct different types of GBC diagrams, which provide a broad prospect for the study of GB structures and GBC transitions, is essential. In this paper, the progress of interface thermodynamics and GBC diagrams from the aspects of the classification and characterization of GBs and GBC transitions, interface thermodynamic models, and the construction of GBC diagrams were reviewed. The paper also looks forward to the future development of interface thermodynamics and GBC diagrams.
Fig.1 Six types of Dillon-Harmer complexions as originally discovered in undoped and doped Al2O3[26] (a-f), analogous examples of Dillon-Harmer complexions in metallic materials[12,27,37-39] (g-l), and schematics of six types of Dillon-Harmer complexions[37] (m-r)
Fig.2 Schematics of wetting transition[37]
Fig.3 Coexistence and phase transformation of Σ5 (310)[001] grain boundary and two grain boundary phases in bcc structure W[53]
Fig.4 The grain boundary mobility (γMb) versus temperature for undoped and doped alumina[26] along with schematic depiction of the six Dillon-Harmer complexions (AGG—abnormal grain growth, NGG—normal grain growth)
Type
Definition mode
Terminology
Meaning
Complexion
Defined by
Congruent
Grain boundary characters (R and n) remain invariant, atomic structure
thermodynamic parameters (R, n, etc.) remain invariant
Faceting
A single complexion decomposes into two complexions, the grain
transition
boundary plane normal n decomposes into n1 and n2
Dissociation
A single complexion decomposes into two complexions, a single grain
transition
boundary dissociates into two new interfaces with the misorientation
relationship of R→ R1 + R2
Defined by
Premelting
A disordered, liquid-like film at a grain boundary forms below the
structure and/or
transition
melting temperature (or solidus) of the bulk phase
composition
Prewetting
A nanolayer complexion with fixed equilibrium thickness forms at the
transition
interface near the temperature or composition of the wetting transition
Adsorption
A dramatic change in the composition of an interface in which the
transition
relative amount of solute increases or decreases significantly
Complexion
Defined by
Intrinsic
The complexion exists in pure systems, its composition is identical to
category
composition
complexion
the bulk composition
Extrinsic
The complexion exists in a non-pure system, its composition is in
complexion
general not equal to the bulk composition
Dillon-Harmer
Clean
A complexion is structurally abrupt, solute segregation is not
complexion
complexion
necessarily entirely absent, but is minimal or is not observed at all,
which does not lead to an increase in thickness of the grain boundary
core
Monolayer
The majority of the adsorbed solute is confined to a thickness of a
complexion
single atomic layer
Bilayer
The most of the adsorbed solute occupies a thickness of two atomic
complexion
layers
Trilayer
The most of the adsorbed solute occupies a thickness of three atomic
complexion
layers
Nanolayer
The adsorbed solute occupies a thickness larger than three atomic
complexion
layers, but which is still finite, fixed and governed by equilibrium
thermodynamics, equivalent to intergranular film (IGF)
Wetting
The bulk wetting film (solid or liquid) at a grain boundary, it has two
complexion
complexions on each side of the wetting film
Defined by
Dry
A complexion with no adsorbed solute or very little adsorption,
thickness and
complexion
corresponds to the monolayer Dillon-Harmer complexion
composition
Moist
A complexion with multilayer solute adsorption, corresponds to the
complexion
bilayer, trilayer and nanolayer Dillon-Harmer complexions
Wet
Refers to the bulk wetting film at a boundary, corresponds to the
complexion
wetting Dillon-Harmer complexion
Table 1 Terminology related to complexion transitions and complexions[37]
Fig.5 APT analyses of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy after aging at 120oC for 0.5 h[42]
Fig.6 Schematics of subsolidus quasi-liquid intergranular films[92] (γcl and γGB are the excess free energies for crystal-liquid and grain boundary, respectively. The superscript “(0)” is used to denote a hypothetic “dry” and “perfectly crystalline” interface. Δγ is the change of interface energy. h is the thickness of the quasi-liquid intergranular film, σinterfacial(h) is the interfacial potential that represents the interactions of two interfaces when the film is thin)
Fig.7 Schematic of a symmetrical flat grain boundary[94] (ρ is the atomic density at the grain boundary relative to the bulk, ρGB is the average relative atomic density within the grain boundary plane)
Fig.8 Schematics of procedures to construct an isothermal section of a ternary grain boundary λ diagram for W-Ni-Fe at 1673 K (W—the primary element with underline, λ—the thermodynamic parameter, T—absolute temperature)[35] and HRTEM image[10]
Fig.9 Density-based Gibbs free energy of the Pt-Au system at 300 K[94] ( is the density-based Gibbs free energy of a regular solid solution for grain boundary, XAu is the composition of Au in mole fraction)
Fig.10 The bulk phase diagram (ρ = 1) and grain boundary phase diagram (ρGB = 0.75) of the Pt-Au system[94]
Fig.11 The segregation isotherm of the Pt-Au system at 700 K[94] ( is the Au composition of the grain boundary, is the Au composition of the bulk far from the grain boundary)
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