WEEK 3

NONCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS

NONCRYSTALLINE
MATERIALS
Metals form crystalline solids, but some ceramic materials are
Crystalline, whereas others the inorganic glasses are amorphous.
Atoms in crystalline solids are positioned in an orderly and repeated
Pattern. Noncrystallines are random and disordered atomic
distribution.

Gases
Liquids
Glassy solids

Gases
Inert gases

Inert gases have no regular ordering of atoms.

Very weak covalent and Van der Waals bonding forces.

Liquids
The molecules have no order and are
bonded together by stronger covalent and
hydrogen bonding forces.
H

Glassy solids

The atoms or molecules are bonded together

mainly by strong ionic, covalent or metallic
bonding forces.

IMPERFECTIONS IN SOLIDS
All solids contain large number of
imperfections or deviation from crystalline
perfection.
Point Defects
Vacancies
The simplest of the point defects is a
vacancy or vacant lattice site, which is
formed when an atom missing from a
normal site during solidification from high
temperatures or radiation damage.

How to calculate Nv
The equilibrium number of vacancies (Nv)
increases with temperature.
Qv
Nv = N exp ()
kT
NA x density
N = total number of atomic sites =
Atomic weight

Qv = energy required to form vacancy

k = Boltzmanns constant (1.38 x 10-23J/atom-K)

 Self Interstitials
A self Interstitial is in an atom from the crystal
that is crowded into an interstitial site.
Host atoms that interstitial sites and their
presence can cause large distortions in the
surrounding lattice.

Impurities
Foreign atoms that occupy the lattice or
interstitial sites of metals to form alloys.
The addition of impurity atoms to a metal
will result in the formation of a solid
solution and/or a new second phase.

Impurities in Solids
Solid Solutions
A solid solution is formed when foreign atoms are added to the
host material.
The crystal structure of the host material is maintained and no
new structures or phases are formed.

Self Interstitials
(a) Substititional solid solution
(b) Interstitial solid solution

Substititional solid solution

Foreign atoms replace or substitute for the
host atoms.
The degree of substitution depends on
(a) the atomic size
(b) crystal size
(c) electronegativity
(d) valency

Interstitial solid solution

Small foreign atoms (eg C, N, H)
eg carbon 2% with Iron steel
RFe = 0.124 nm RC = 0.071 nm

Line Defects
Which is one of the kinds of Defects.
Three types again
1/ Edge dislocation
2/ Screw dislocation
3/ Mixed dislocation