Grain Growth in Nanocrystalline Mg-Al Thin Films

Kruska, Karen, Rohatgi, Aashish, Vemuri, Rama S, Kovarik, Libor, Moser, Trevor H, Evans, James E and Browning, Nigel D ORCID: 0000-0003-0491-251X (2017) Grain Growth in Nanocrystalline Mg-Al Thin Films. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 48 (12). pp. 6118-6125.

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Abstract

An improved understanding of grain growth kinetics in nanocrystalline materials, and in metals and alloys in general, is of continuing interest to the scientific community. In this study, Mg-Al thin films containing ~10 wt pct Al and with 14.5 nm average grain size were produced by magnetron sputtering and subjected to heat treatments. The grain growth evolution in the early stages of heat treatment at 423 K, 473 K, and 573 K (150 °C, 200 °C, and 300 °C) was observed with transmission electron microscopy and analyzed based upon the classical equation developed by Burke and Turnbull. The grain growth exponent was found to be 7 ± 2 and the activation energy for grain growth was 31.1 ± 13.4 kJ/mol, the latter being significantly lower than in bulk Mg-Al alloys. The observed grain growth kinetics are explained by the Al supersaturation in the matrix and the pinning effects of the rapidly forming beta precipitates and possibly shallow grain boundary grooves. The low activation energy is attributed to the rapid surface diffusion which is dominant in thin film systems.

Item Type:	Article
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	13 Dec 2018 09:28
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 01:09
DOI:	10.1007/s11661-017-4350-0
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3029868