Determination of cavity-growth rates from cavity-size distributions

Abstract

We describe a simple method to determine grain-bondary cavity-growth kinetics from cavity-size distributions developed during creep. The technique is applicable in the presence of continuous nucleation and may be used for studying cavity growth as well as sintering. The influence of an assumed internal stress distribution on its accuracy is discussed. Cavity-size distributions obtained by Yang and Weertman by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) of crept copper are re-analysed with the above method. The results agree with quasi-equilibrium diffusive growth kinetics, they also indicate, however, that the cut-off error of the SANS technique can be serious.