Dopant-impurity interactions on grain boundary segregation in alumina

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2023.08.066

Abstract

Abstract: Dopant segregation plays a crucial role in determining the structures and properties of grain boundaries (GBs) in ceramics. Although GB segregation with intentional doping has been extensively studied, the presence of unintended dilute impurities during fabrication processes is often inevitable. The interaction between these impurities and dopants and their influence on the atomic structures of doped GBs remain unclear. In this study, we investigate Ti-doped Al₂O₃ GBs co-segregated with unintentional Si or Ca impurities using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. We demonstrate that different impurities have distinct effects on Ti-segregated GB structures, primarily determined by the ionic size mismatch between the dopants, impurities, and host cations. Specifically, Si segregation has little impact on Ti segregation in the Ti/Si-doped GB, while the competition between Ca and Ti for segregation sites has taken place in the Ti/Ca-doped GB, leading to a different Ti segregation structure and GB structural distortions. These findings provide an in-depth understanding of how unintentional impurities affect the local segregation structures of doped GBs, which can facilitate the future design of ceramic materials through doping.

Key words: Al₂O₃, Impurities, GB segregation, STEM, EDS

Chuchu Yang, Bin Feng, Jiake Wei, Naoya Shibata, Yuichi Ikuhara. Dopant-impurity interactions on grain boundary segregation in alumina[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2024, 181: 58-62.

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