Magnetically Controlled Grain Boundary Motion and Grain Growth in Zinc

Abstract

The motion of grain boundaries in zinc bicrystals (99.995%) driven by the “magnetic” driving force was investigated. Planar symmetrical and asymmetrical tilt grain boundaries with rotation angles in the range between 60° and 90° were examined. At a given temperature the boundary migration rate was found to increase linearly with an applied driving force. The absolute grain boundary mobility was determined. The boundary mobility and its temperature dependence were found to depend on the misorientation angle and the inclination of the boundary plane. An application of a magnetic field during the annealing of cold rolled (90%) Zn-1.1%Al sheet specimens resulted in an asymmetry of the two major texture components. This is interpreted in terms of magnetically affected grain growth kinetics.