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Crystal Structure/ Atomic Packing

Lecture 5 Jan. 7th 2010

Some Pointers
Crystal Structure: Manner in which atoms/ molecules/ions are spatially arranged Unit Cell: Small group of atoms form a repetitive pattern called unit cell. It is chosen to generate the crystal via its translation Corners: coincide with centers of the hard-sphere atoms When more than a single unit cell can be chosen for a crystal structure: use unit cell with highest level of geometric symmetry. Any two planes parallel to each other are equivalent and have identical indices.

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Pointers
Family of Planes { } Equivalence of (111) and (-1 -1 -1) Cubic System Tetragonal System (100) and (010) and not (001) in {100} family

Hard Sphere Model

Atoms/ Ions: Hard Spheres with well defined diameter

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Directions
Representation < > Equivalence of Directions <100> and <-100> Family [ ]

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Crystal Structure of Metals

Structures Most Commonly Found in Metals:
Base Centered Cubic Face Centered Cubic Hexagonal Closed Packed

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Body Centered Cubic

Center and Corner Atoms touch each other Unit Cell Length = a Atomic Radii = R Contribution of Corner/ Body Center Atoms Coordination Number = 8 Number of Atoms in a Unit Cell Packing Factor 0.68

B.C.C

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Relation Between lattice constant and atomic radii:

a =

4R 3

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Face Centered Cubic

Atoms located at corners and centers of each face Coordination Number = 12 Number of Atoms in a Unit Cell Packing Factor 0.74

a = 2 2R

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Hexagonal Closed Pack

Atoms located at centers of top/bottom face, and three at center Coordination Number = 12 Number of Atoms in a Unit Cell Packing Factor 0.74

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a/c ratio ~ 1.633

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Atomic Packing Factor

Fraction of solid spheres in the unit cell

Density of Materials

10

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Thank You

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