Size-Dependent Grain-Growth Kinetics Observed in Nanocrystalline Fe

C. E. Krill, III; L. Helfen; D. Michels; H. Natter; A. Fitch; O. Masson; R. Birringer

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.842

Size-Dependent Grain-Growth Kinetics Observed in Nanocrystalline Fe

C. E. Krill, III, L. Helfen, D. Michels, H. Natter, A. Fitch, O. Masson, and R. Birringer

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 842 – Published 29 January 2001

Abstract

Measurements of grain growth in nanocrystalline Fe reveal a linear dependence of the grain size on annealing time, contradicting studies in coarser-grained materials, which find a parabolic (or power-law) dependence. When the grain size exceeds $\sim 150 nm$ , a smooth transition from linear to nonlinear growth kinetics occurs, suggesting that the rate-controlling mechanism for grain growth depends on the grain size. The linear-stage growth rate agrees quantitatively with a model in which boundary migration is controlled by the redistribution of excess volume localized in the boundary cores.

Received 22 September 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.842

Authors & Affiliations

C. E. Krill, III^1,*, L. Helfen¹, D. Michels¹, H. Natter², A. Fitch³, O. Masson³, and R. Birringer¹

¹FR 7.3 Technische Physik, Gebäude 43, Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 151150, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
²FR 8.13 Physikalische Chemie, Gebäude 9, Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 151150, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
³ESRF, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex, France