The surface energy anisotropy of 3% silicon iron

Abstract

The surface energy anisotropy of a high-purity 3% silicon iron alloy has been determined at various temperatures between 1000° and 1400°C by measuring the variation in grain boundary dihedral angle in those wires exhibiting a bamboo texture. The μ-plots have been obtained by numerical analysis of these data and have been normalized to the absolute values of the (110) surface energy obtained under identical experimental conditions using a zero creep technique.

The present results are explained in terms of a silicon/oxygen complex adsorbate on the (111) and (100) planes at the lower temperatures which dissociates between 1300° and 1400°C, giving rise to a decrease in the surface energies of the (111) and (100) planes at 1400°C.