Wetting of molybdenum grain boundaries by nickel: effect of the boundary structure and energy Original Research Article

The structural effect of the penetration of nickel along symmetrical [101] tilt grain boundaries (GBs) in two different molybdenum bicrystals is investigated. The selection of GBs (Σ=3{121} and Σ=11{323}) is governed by their different energy so that a different penetration behaviour is expected. The temperature of treatment is 1350°C, i.e. above the eutectic temperature. The analysis of the Mo–Ni phase formed on the surface of the bicrystal, the concentration profile along the GB and the identification of the nanophases present at the GB is performed by using several experimental techniques from microscopic to nanoscopic scales. Important differences in the penetration of nickel are found for the two investigated GBs.