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Point defects
Line defects
Planar defects
Point defects
Frenkel defect – extra self-interstitial atom, responsible for the vacancy nearby.
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Line defects
Edge dislocation is an extra half plane of atoms “inserted” into the crystal lattice. Due to
the edge dislocations metals possess high plasticity characteristics: ductility and
malleability.
Screw dislocation forms when one part of crystal lattice is shifted (through shear)
relative to the other crystal part. It is called screw as atomic planes form a spiral surface
around the dislocation line.
The dislocation density is a total length of dislocations in a unit crystal volume. The dislocation
density of annealed metals is about 1010 - 1012 m−². After work hardening the dislocation
density increases up to 1015 - 1016 m-². Further increase of dislocation density causes crackes
formation and fracture.
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Planar defects
Planar defect is an imperfection in form of a plane between uniform parts of the material. The
most important planar defect is a grain boundary. Formation of a boundary between two grains
may be imagined as a result of rotation of crystal lattice of one of them about a specific axis.
Depending on the rotation axis direction, two ideal types of a grain boundary are possible:
Grain boundaries are called large-angle boundaries if misorientation of two neighboring grains
exceeds 10º-15º.
Grain boundaries are called small-angle boundaries if misorientation of two neighboring grains
is 5º or less.
Grain boundaries accumulate crystal lattice defects (vacancies, dislocations) and other
imperfections, therefore they effect on the metallurgical processes, occurring in alloys and their
properties.
Since the mechanism of metal deformation is a motion of crystal dislocations through the lattice,
grain boundaries, enriched with dislocations, play an important role in the deformation process.
Diffusion along grain boundaries is much faster, than throughout the grains.
Segregation of impurities in form of precipitating phases in the boundary regions causes a form
of corrosion, associated with chemical attack of grain boundaries. This corrosion is called
Intergranular corrosion.
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