| Abstract Scope |
Interfacial engineering has become a powerful tool for manipulating material properties. While evidence continues to mount showing that grain boundary networks are complex entities with many variations in local structure and properties, these variations are not often treated adequately. Here, we discuss the importance of the variety of “microstructure” (fine structural features) contained within one aspect of a traditional microstructure, the interfacial network. Specifically, this talk will discuss the importance of features such as complexion population, network topology, and chemical/structural heterogeneity, using nanocrystalline materials and multi-principal element alloys as model systems to explore these topics. First, we study boundary-to-boundary variations in local chemical composition and complexion type. Next, we investigate unique spatial variations in local structure, such as gradients in short-range order and near-boundary segregation regions. As a whole, our results emphasize that interfacial networks are complicated entities, with renewed efforts needed to identify, characterize, and understand the finer details. |