An Ab Initio Study of Connections between Tensorial Elastic Properties and Chemical Bonds in Sigma5(210) Grain Boundaries in Ni3Si

Using quantum-mechanical methods we calculate and analyze (tensorial) anisotropic elastic properties of the ground-state configurations of interface states associated with Sigma5(210) grain boundaries (GBs) in cubic L12-structure Ni3Si. We assess the mechanical stability of interface states with two different chemical compositions at the studied GB by checking rigorous elasticity-based Born stability criteria. In particular, we show that a GB variant containing both Ni and Si atoms at the interface is unstable with respect to shear deformation (one of the elastic constants, C55, is negative). This instability is found for a rectangular-parallelepiped supercell obtained when applying standard coincidence-lattice construction. Our elastic-constant analysis allowed us to identify a shear-deformation mode reducing the energy and, eventually, to obtain mechanically stable ground-state characterized by a shear-deformed parallelepiped supercell. Alternatively, we tested a stabilization of this GB interface state by Al substituents replacing Si atoms at the GB.We further discuss an atomistic origin of this instability in terms of the crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) and phonon dispersion calculations. We find that the unstable GB variant shows a very strong interaction between the Si atoms in the GB plane and Ni atoms in the 3rd plane off the GB interface. However, such bond reinforcement results in weakening of interaction between the Ni atoms in the 3rd plane and the Si atoms in the 5th plane making this GB variant mechanically unstable

An Ab Initio Study of Pressure-Induced Changes of Magnetism in Austenitic Stoichiometric Ni2MnSn

We have performed a quantum-mechanical study of a series of stoichiometric Ni2MnSn structures focusing on pressure-induced changes in their magnetic properties. Motivated by the facts that (i) our calculations give the total magnetic moment of the defect-free stoichiometric Ni2MnSn higher than our experimental value by 12.8% and (ii) the magnetic state is predicted to be more sensitive to hydrostatic pressures than seen in our measurements, our study focused on the role of point defects, in particular Mn-Ni, Mn-Sn and Ni-Sn swaps in the stoichiometric Ni2MnSn. For most defect types we also compared states with both ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between (i) the swapped Mn atoms and (ii) those on the Mn sublattice. Our calculations show that the swapped Mn atoms can lead to magnetic moments nearly twice smaller than those in the defect-free Ni2MnSn. Further, the defect-containing states exhibit pressure-induced changes up to three times larger but also smaller than those in the defect-free Ni2MnSn. Importantly, we find both qualitative and quantitative differences in the pressure-induced changes of magnetic moments of individual atoms even for the same global magnetic state. Lastly, despite of the fact that the FM-coupled and AFM-coupled states have often very similar formation energies (the differences only amount to a few meV per atom), their structural and magnetic properties can be very different

Electronic structure In-Sn alloys

The InSn system is interesting by the existence of a simple hexagonal phase for compositions from 72 to 87 at% Sn at 25 °C and from 73 to 85 at% Sn at -150 °C. These alloys are usually referred to as gamma–Sn. The InSn alloys are disordered in the whole concentration interval. In this contribution, energetics and electronic structure of InSn system is studied from first principles. A simplified version of virtual crystal approximation is employed to describe disorder. It turns out that the present approach is capable of describing phase composition of InSn system in the whole concentration interval. In particular, we are able to reproduce the existence of simple hexagonal phase around 80 at% Sn

Elektronová struktura slitin india a cínu

The In-Sn system is interesting due to the existence of the simple hexagonal (sh) structure for compositions from 75 to 87 at% Sn at 25 ºC and from 73 to 85 at% Sn at -150 ºC. These alloys are usually referred to as gamma-Sn. Here we study the electronic structure and total energy of gamma-Sn with the help of virtual crystal approximation and demonstrate that sh structure has the lowest energy in the interval of existence of gamma-tin

Structure and magnetism of clean and impurity-decorated grain boundaries in nickel from first principles

We present a detailed theoretical study of segregation of sp-elements from the 3rd-5th period (Al, Si, P, S, Ga, Ge, As, Se, In, Sn, Sb and Te) at the Sigma5(210) grain boundary (GB) in fcc FM Ni. Whereas there is a slight enhancement of magnetization at the clean GB and FS with respect to bulk nickel (3–7% and 24%, respectively), the studied impurities entirely kill or strongly reduce ferromagnetism at the GB so that magnetically dead layers are formed. We determine the preferred segregation sites at the GB for the impurities studied, their segregation enthalpies and strengthening/embrittling energies. We find interstitially segregated Si and P and substitutionally segregated Al as a GB cohesion enhancer, and interstitially segregated S, Ge, As, Se and substitutionally segregated Ga, In, Sn, Sb and Te as GB embrittlers in Ni. As there is very little experimental information on GB segregation in nickel most of the present results are theoretical predictions which may motivate future experimental work

AB INITIO STUDY OF EFFECT OF SEGREGATED SP-IMPURITIES AT GRAIN BOUNDARIES IN NICKEL

The embrittling/strengthening effects of segregated sp-elements in the 3rd 4th and 5th period (Al, Si, P, S, Ga, Ge, As, Se, In, Sn, Sb and Te) at the Sigma 5(210) grain boundary (GB) in fcc nickel have been investigated using density functional theory. We predict Si as a GB cohesion enhancer, Al and P have none or minimal strengthening effect and S, Ga, As, Se, In, Sn, Sb and Te are GB embrittlers in Ni. We also analyze the segregation enthalpy of all impurities. It turns out that AI, Ga, In, Sn, Sb and Te are substitutional and Si, P, S, Ge, As and Se interstitial impurities at the GB in Ni

Study of Influence of Segregated Impurities on Magnetism of Grain Boundaries and Free Surfaces in FCC Nickel and Cobalt

We present an ab initio study of segregation of 12 nonmagnetic sp impurities (Al, Si, P, S, Ga, Ge, As, Se, In, Sn, Sb and Te) at the Sigma5(210) grain boundary (GB) and (210) free surface (FS) in ferromagnetic fcc nickel and cobalt. We analyze their effect on structure, magnetic and mechanical properties. We determine the preferred segregation sites of the impurity atoms, their segregation enthalpies and strengthening/embrittling energies with their decomposition into the chemical and mechanical components. In this contribution, we focused on the influence of segregated impurities on the magnetic moments of neighbouring atoms, the changes in the density of states and why the magnetically dead layers may be present in nickel but not in the cobalt

Effect of segregated nonmagnetic sp-impurities on the properties of grain boundaries and surfaces in nickel

We present an ab initio study of segregation of 12 nonmagnetic sp impurities (Al, Si, P, S, Ga, Ge, As, Se, In, Sn, Sb and Te) at the Sigma5(210) grain boundary (GB) and (210) free surface (FS) in fcc ferromagnetic nickel and analyze their effect on structure, magnetic and mechanical properties. We determine the preferred segregation sites of the impurity atoms, their segregation enthalpies and strengthening/embrittling energies with their decomposition into the chemical and mechanical components. We find that the value of mechanical component is dependent on the type of the stable segregation position and is nearly constant in each period. On the other hand the chemical component changes strongly within each period and is determined by the electronegativity of impurity atoms. Magnetically dead layers found at the impurity segregated GB and FS are caused by a strong hybridization of sp states of the impurities with the d states of nickel

The Effect of Vacancies on Grain Boundary Segregation in Ferromagnetic fcc Ni

This work presents a comprehensive and detailed ab initio study of interactions between the tilt Σ5(210) grain boundary (GB), impurities X (X = Al, Si) and vacancies (Va) in ferromagnetic fcc nickel. To obtain reliable results, two methods of structure relaxation were employed: the automatic full relaxation and the finding of the minimum energy with respect to the lattice dimensions perpendicular to the GB plane and positions of atoms. Both methods provide comparable results. The analyses of the following phenomena are provided: the influence of the lattice defects on structural properties of material such as lattice parameters, the volume per atom, interlayer distances and atomic positions; the energies of formation of particular structures with respect to the standard element reference states; the stabilization/destabilization effects of impurities (in substitutional (s) as well as in tetragonal (iT) and octahedral (iO) interstitial positions) and of vacancies in both the bulk material and material with GBs; a possibility of recombination of Si(i)+Va defect to Si(s) one with respect to the Va position; the total energy of formation of GB and Va; the binding energies between the lattice defects and their combinations; impurity segregation energies and the effect of Va on them; magnetic characteristics in the presence of impurities, vacancies and GBs. As there is very little experimental information on the interaction between impurities, vacancies and GBs in fcc nickel, most of the present results are theoretical predictions, which may motivate future experimental work