Vn. Semenov et al., PREPARATION OF FE-SI SINGLE-CRYSTALS AND BICRYSTALS FOR DIFFUSION EXPERIMENTS BY THE ELECTRON-BEAM FLOATING-ZONE TECHNIQUE, Journal of crystal growth, 151(1-2), 1995, pp. 180-186
An electron-beam floating zone melting technique has been used to grow
oriented single crystals and bicrystals of Fe-Si alloys with 6, 10, 1
2 and 14 at% Si. Procedures for the preparation of monocrystalline and
bicrystalline seeds as well as for the growing of single crystals and
bicrystals of these alloys are described. Studies of chemical composi
tion of the bicrystalline specimens with aid of electron probe microan
alysis revealed a homogeneous distribution of the main components. The
behaviour of Fe-Si bicrystals in contact with a Zn-rich melt has been
investigated. The wetting of grain boundaries by the melt and differe
nt types of Zn diffusion along the grain boundaries in several concent
ration intervals with a sharp transition from high to low diffusivity
have been observed.