ENERGIES OF GRAIN BOUNDARIES IN SILVER CHLORIDE CRYSTALS

Abstract

The relative energies of grain boundaries in silver chloride crystals have been measured. The measurements were made on tricrystals grown by simultaneously drawing three single crystals vertically from a melt. Tricrystals of three different isoaxial orientations, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], were studied. The relative grain boundary energies were measured as a function of the orientation differences between two grains forming a boundary in crystals of each of the orientations given above. From these measurements the following conclusions are drawn: the grain boundary energies of silver chloride follow the equation of Read and Shockley; for small orientation differences, that is, differences less than 10°, the boundary energy is a function of the axial orientation of the grains forming the boundary; for large orientation differences, that is, differences greater than 10°, the boundary energy is not a function of the axial orientation, except when cusps occur; the maximum energy of a boundary made of crystals each with a [Formula: see text] axial orientation equals the maximum energy of a boundary between crystals of [Formula: see text] axial orientations.