Chemical diffusivity of BaTiO3−

The influence of elemental B addition on the heat-treated cast structure of Ti–47Al–2Cr–(2–4)Nb alloys has been investigated using x-ray diffractometry, optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and tensile testing. The phase sequence is β → β + α → α → α + γ → α + β + γ → β + γ. The addition of (0–2 at. %) B does not change the phase sequence. It, however, tends to stabilize α phase by shifting the (α + β + γ) three-phase region toward a higher (Cr + Nb) content. The B addition does not significantly alter the equilibrium composition within (α + γ) two-phase field. The B addition markedly accelerates the lamellar formation kinetics and enhances the thickening rate of γ plates, despite the fact that it increases both the misfit between α and γ plates and the α/γ interfacial energy. The acceleration of lamellar formation kinetics is thus believed to be primarily due to the enhancement of chemical diffusivity as a result of B addition. The B addition induces a significant refinement of heat-treated cast structure. This is primarily due to the role of boride to disperse the interdendritic γ regions to a fine network and to refine the dendrite cell size. Further refinement arises from the boride's role to act as the nucleation site for γ grains and from the intrinsic B effect to enhance the chemical diffusivity and the γ thickening rate. The addition of a small amount of B enhances both the strength and tensile ductility of near gamma structure. The strengthening arises from grain size refinement and from the boride dispersion. The calculation of fracture strain suggests that an enhancement of ductility for small B addition (up to ∼0.2 at. %) is mostly due to its effect to refine the γ grains.

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Anisotropic diffusion creep in postperovskite provides a new model for deformation at the core−mantle boundary

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1914826116 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 116 (52) ◽

pp. 26389-26393

Author(s):

David P. Dobson ◽

Alexander Lindsay-Scott ◽

Simon A. Hunt ◽

Edward Bailey ◽

Ian G. Wood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anisotropic Diffusion ◽

Seismic Anisotropy ◽

Shear Zones ◽

Dislocation Creep ◽

Diffusion Creep ◽

Chemical Diffusivity ◽

Crystallographic Preferred Orientation ◽

Mantle Boundary ◽

Core Mantle Boundary ◽

The Core

The lowermost portion of Earth’s mantle (D″) above the core−mantle boundary shows anomalous seismic features, such as strong seismic anisotropy, related to the properties of the main mineral MgSiO3postperovskite. But, after over a decade of investigations, the seismic observations still cannot be explained simply by flow models which assume dislocation creep in postperovskite. We have investigated the chemical diffusivity of perovskite and postperovskite phases by experiment and ab initio simulation, and derive equations for the observed anisotropic diffusion creep. There is excellent agreement between experiments and simulations for both phases in all of the chemical systems studied. Single-crystal diffusivity in postperovskite displays at least 3 orders of magnitude of anisotropy by experiment and simulation (Da= 1,000Db;Db≈Dc) in zinc fluoride, and an even more extreme anisotropy is predicted (Da= 10,000Dc;Dc= 10,000Db) in the natural MgSiO3system. Anisotropic chemical diffusivity results in anisotropic diffusion creep, texture generation, and a strain-weakening rheology. The results for MgSiO3postperovskite strongly imply that regions within the D″ region of Earth dominated by postperovskite will 1) be substantially weaker than regions dominated by perovskite and 2) develop a strain-induced crystallographic-preferred orientation with strain-weakening rheology. This leads to strain localization and the possibility to bring regions with significantly varying textures into close proximity by strain on narrow shear zones. Anisotropic diffusion creep therefore provides an attractive alternative explanation for the complexity in observed seismic anisotropy and the rapid lateral changes in seismic velocities in D″.

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