Grain boundary migration in Fe-3wt%Si alloys

The studies of three different laboratories on grain boundary migration in Fe-3wt.%Si alloys are presented. In all cases bicrystal techniques employing capillarity as driving force were used. [100] tilt boundaries were studied in the temperature range from 1223 K to 1373 K, and [110] tilt boundaries in the range from 1220 K to 1625 K. Proportionality between grain boundary velocity and driving force was confirmed. All data fulfil a linear relation between activation enthalpies and logarithms of the pre-exponential factors, corresponding to a compensation temperature of 1386 K where all boundaries theoretically should possess the same mobility. A considerably lower activation enthalpy was found in one case for an asymmetrical grain boundary compared to the symmetrical boundary of the same misorientation. High values of activation enthalpy of migration were found for special [100] boundaries compared to general ones although an opposite tendency was also observed for [100] boundaries.