EXPERIMENT NO.
TOSTUDY THE CRYSTALSTRUCTURES AND CRYSTAL
IMPERFECTIONS USING BALL MODELS
1. Objective 2. Apparatus 3. Theory 4. Procedure
5. Observation 6. Result 7. Precautions 8. Viva Questions
APPARATUS: Crystal structures ball models.
THEORY:
The solids are either crystallinë or non-crystalline. The majority of engineering materials, many
ceramics, most minerals, some plastics and all metals are crystalline is structure. The type of
their crystal structure bears significantly on the physical properties of these materials. The
various defects which arise in the formation of crystals of a material are further responsible for
certain aspects of chemical and physical behaviour of these crystalline materials.
Crystal structure: A regular and repetitious pattern in which atoms or groups of atoms (i.e.
molecules) of a crystalline material arrange themselves is. known as a crystal structure. All
crystalline solids may be classified into seven crystal systems or structures, which are described
below.
Cubic Structure:- In this crystal arrangement, three equal axes are at right angles.
Tetragonal Structure:- In this crystal arrangement, three axes are at right angles,
twoof these axes are equal while third one is different.
Orthorhombic Structures:- In this crystal arrangement, three unequal axes are at
right angles.
Rhombohedral Structures:- In this crystal arrangement, three equal axes are equally
included but at an angle other than a right angle.
Hexagonal Structure:- In tlhis crystal arrangement, three oqual axKC% are in one plane at
120° to cach other, and a fourth axis nomal to this planc. The interval along the fourth
axis is unique.
Monoclinic Structure:- In this crvstal arrangement, there are three unequal axes. One of
the axes is at right angles to the other two axes. but the other two axes are not at right
angles to each other.
Triclnic Structure:- In this crystal arrangement, three unequal axes are unequally incined
and none being at right angles.
Crystal Structures for Metallic Elements: Generally, the metallic elements crystallize in
one of the following three structures.
Body centered cubic structure, Face centered cubic structure (F.C.C) and Hexagonal
close-packed (H.C.P) structure
PROCEDURE
BCC:In bodycentered cubic structure each one atom is placed at the corner of thecube
and one ato m is
placed at the centre of the cube. Iron has BCCstructure. At room
temperature the unit cell of iron has an
atom at each corner and another at the body centre of the cube.
Each iron atom in BCC structure is
surrounded by eight adjacent iron atoms. The unit cell of acubic cell contains eight ato ms at
co rners
which are shared by the adjoining eight cubes.
Hence the share of each cube =% of each corner atoms
Total no of atoms =%x8=1 atom
BCCcrystal has one atom at center.
So,total no. of atoms in BCC=2 atoms
RCC: In this type of structure the unit cell
contains one atomat center of each corner plus at each
Examples of such type of cry stalstructure are copper, silver, face.
gold etc. In FCC crystal the atom on each
face is surrounded orshared by two cubes, Son contribution of cach towards crystal is 2, one atom at
each coner, i.e. shaed by eight other cubes so that its contribution towards crystal is %.
So total no of atoms =% x 8+ x6= 4 atoms
HCP: In case of hexagonal closed packing structure there are 12 atoms at corner. One atom at the cente
of two hexagonal faces and three atoms symmetrically arran ged in the body of unit [Link] no of atoms
per unit cell=1/6 x6+ 1/6 x6+½ 2 +3 =6 atoms
(a)
(c) H. C.p
Fig.1: HCP Structure
OBSERVATION:
(1)Point Defect: The imperfect point like
kindsof point defects are as given below: regions
in a crystal is known as point defects. The
different
a. Vacancy :Schottky defect and Frenkel defect
b. Interstitial
C. Substitutional
Frenkel defect: anion vacancy Schottky defect: anion -cation
interstitial cation pair. vacancy pair.
2. Line Defect:
The most important two dimensionalor line defect is
the dislocation. A dislocation may be defined as
a disturbed region between two
subsequently perfect parts of a cry stal
The two basic types of dislocation are: a. Bdge
dislocation b. Screw dislocation
Edge dislocation:
Edge dislocation is produced due to
introduction of an extra row of atoms.
Dislocation is along an edge inside a crystal.
Serew dislocation:
It is produced because of the partial
slipping of a section of crystal plane additional atoms and unit
are added to stop of the screw. In this only cells
shear stress field exists.
Fig.4: Edge Dislocation
Fig.5: Screw Dislocation
RESULT: Crystal structuro and crystal imperfections have been studicd.
PRECAUTIONS:
Crystal defect may be visualized very precisely.
Structure should be exact.
VIVA QUESTIONS:
What is a crystal?
How is the classification of crystals made into the 7
crystal system?
ii. What are the 14 Bravais lattices?
iv. What is the relation between the symmetry of a crystal and the
symmetry with respect to its
properties?
3. Surface Defets:
These defects take place on the surface of the material. They are of thrce types,
(a) Grain boundaries (b) Tilt boundary (c) Twin Boundary
(a) Grain boundary:
During solidification of molten metal grains of different orientations separate the general patterns
of atom and exhibits a boundary. The n the defect caused is known as grain boundary defect.
(b) Tilt boundary:
Tit boundary is another surface imperfection, and it may be regard as an array of edge
dislocation. By rotation of an axis in the boundary it is possible to bring the axis of two
bordening grain intocoincidence, i.e., a tilt boundary
(c) Twin Boundary:
Here the boundary in which the atomic arrangement on one side of the boundary is a mirror
image of the arrangement of atom on the other side.
Boundary
b
Grain 1
Grain i
twin boundorics
Gra in boundary Tit boundary Twin Boundary
(4). Volume Defect:
Volumedefect is mainly due to the presence of foreign particles inclusion (large voids) or non-crystalline
region in the crystal. Due the presence of such particles, the physical and mechanical properties of the
crystal affect.