The Structure of Crystalline

Solid

Ref: Callister Chap 3

Chapter 3: The Structure of Crystalline Solids

WHY STUDY STRUCTURE OF CRYSTALLINE

SOLIDS???

ISSUES TO ADDRESS...

• How do atoms assemble into solid structures?

• How does the density of a material depend on

its structure?

• When do material properties vary with the

sample (i.e., part) orientation?
Energy and Packing
• Non dense, random packing Energy

typical neighbor
bond length

typical neighbor r
bond energy

• Dense, ordered packing Energy

typical neighbor
bond length

typical neighbor r
bond energy

Dense, ordered packed structures tend to have

lower energies.
3
Materials and Packing
Crystalline materials...
• atoms pack in periodic, 3D arrays
• typical of: -metals
-many ceramics
-some polymers crystalline SiO2
Adapted from Fig. 3.23(a),
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Si Oxygen
Noncrystalline materials...
• atoms have no periodic packing
• occurs for: -complex structures
-rapid cooling
"Amorphous" = Noncrystalline noncrystalline SiO2
Adapted from Fig. 3.23(b),
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

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 Metallic Crystal Structures

Three Most common crystal structure:

1. BCC (Body Centered Cubic Structure)
2. FCC (Face Centered Cubic Structure)
3. HCP (Hexagonal Close-Packed Structure)

A sites
c
B sites

A sites
a 5
FCC & HCP are Obtained from the Same Planar Arrangement

Now stack these 2-D layers to make 3-D structures

Stacking metal atoms to minimize empty space

6
 FCC Stacking Sequence
• ABCABC... Stacking Sequence
• 2D Projection
B B
C
A
A sites B B B
C C
B sites B B
C sites

A
• FCC Unit Cell B
C

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Hexagonal Close-Packed Structure (HCP)
• ABAB... Stacking Sequence
• 3D Projection • 2D Projection

A sites Top layer

c
B sites Middle layer

A sites Bottom layer

a Adapted from Fig. 3.3(a),
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

ex: Cd, Mg, Ti, Zn

8
Metallic of Crystal Structures
• Tend to be densely packed.
• Atomic Packing Factor: 3D (volumetric) density
• Planar Density: 2D (in plane) density
• Linear Density: 1D (in straight line) density

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Body Centered Cubic Structure (BCC)
• Atoms touch each other along cube diagonals.
--Note: All atoms are identical; the center atom is shaded
differently only for ease of viewing.

ex: Cr, W, Fe (), Tantalum, Molybdenum

Adapted from Fig. 3.2,

Click once on image to start animation Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
(Courtesy P.M. Anderson)
2 atoms/unit cell: 1 center + 8 corners x 1/8
10
Atomic Packing Factor: BCC
• APF for a body-centered cubic structure = 0.68
3a

2a

Close-packed directions:
Adapted from R length = 4R = 3 a
Fig. 3.2(a), Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.
a
atoms volume
4
unit cell 2 p ( 3a/4) 3
3 atom
APF =
3 volume
a
unit cell 11
Face Centered Cubic Structure (FCC)
• Atoms touch each other along face diagonals.
--Note: All atoms are identical; the face-centered atoms are shaded
differently only for ease of viewing.

ex: Al, Cu, Au, Pb, Ni, Pt, Ag

Adapted from Fig. 3.1, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Click once on image to start animation
(Courtesy P.M. Anderson) 4 atoms/unit cell: 6 face x 1/2 + 8 corners x 1/8

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Atomic Packing Factor: FCC
• APF for a face-centered cubic structure = 0.74
maximum achievable APF
Close-packed directions:
length = 4R = 2 a
2a
Unit cell contains:
6 x 1/2 + 8 x 1/8
= 4 atoms/unit cell
a
Adapted from
Fig. 3.1(a),
Callister & atoms volume
Rethwisch 8e. 4 3
unit cell 4 p ( 2a/4)
3 atom
APF =
3 volume
a
unit cell
13
Theoretical Density, r
Mass of Atoms in Unit Cell
Density =  =
Total Volume of Unit Cell

nA
 =
VC NA

where n = number of atoms/unit cell

A = atomic weight
VC = Volume of unit cell = a3 for cubic
NA = Avogadro’s number
= 6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol

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Theoretical Density, r

• Ex: Cr (BCC)
A = 52.00 g/mol
R = 0.125 nm
n = 2 atoms/unit cell
R
Adapted from
a a = 4R/ 3 = 0.2887 nm
Fig. 3.2(a), Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.
atoms
g
unit cell 2 52.00 theoretical = 7.18 g/cm3
mol
= ractual = 7.19 g/cm3
a3 6.022 x 1023
volume atoms
unit cell mol 15
Densities of Material Classes
In general Metals/
Graphite/
Composites/
rmetals > rceramics > rpolymers Alloys
Ceramics/
Semicond
Polymers
fibers
30
Why? Platinum
Based on data in Table B1, Callister
*GFRE, CFRE, & AFRE are Glass,
20 Gold, W
Metals have... Tantalum Carbon, & Aramid Fiber-Reinforced
Epoxy composites (values based on
• close-packing 60% volume fraction of aligned fibers
10 Silver, Mo in an epoxy matrix).
(metallic bonding) Cu,Ni
Steels
• often large atomic masses Tin, Zinc
Zirconia

r (g/cm3 )
5
Ceramics have... 4
Titanium
Al oxide
Diamond
• less dense packing 3 Si nitride
Aluminum Glass -soda Glass fibers
• often lighter elements Concrete
Silicon PTFE GFRE*
2
Polymers have... Magnesium Graphite
Silicone
Carbon fibers
CFRE*
Aramid fibers
PVC
• low packing density PET
PC
AFRE*
1
(often amorphous) HDPE, PS
PP, LDPE
• lighter elements (C,H,O)
0.5
Composites have... 0.4
Wood

• intermediate values 0.3

Data from Table B.1, Callister & Rethwisch, 8e.
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Point Coordinates
z
111 Point coordinates for unit cell
c center are
a/2, b/2, c/2 ½½½

000
y
a b
x Point coordinates for unit cell
corner are 111

17
Crystallographic Directions
z Algorithm
1. Vector repositioned (if necessary) to pass
through origin.
2. Read off projections in terms of
unit cell dimensions a, b, and c
y 3. Adjust to smallest integer values
4. Enclose in square brackets, no commas

x [uvw]

ex: 1, 0, ½ => 2, 0, 1 => [ 201 ]

-1, 1, 1 => [ 111 ] where overbar represents a
negative index
families of directions <uvw>
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Linear Density
Number of atoms
• Linear Density of Atoms  LD = Unit length of direction vector

[110]
ex: linear density of Al in [110]
direction
a = 0.405 nm

# atoms
a 2
LD = = 3.5 nm-1
Adapted from
Fig. 3.1(a),
length 2a
Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.

1-D length across diagonal: R + 2R + R = 4R. 1 atom = 2R, therefore there will be 4R/2R = 2 atoms 19
Crystallographic Planes
• Miller Indices: Reciprocals of the (three) axial
intercepts for a plane, cleared of fractions &
common multiples. All parallel planes have same
Miller indices.

• Algorithm
1. Read off intercepts of plane with axes in
terms of a, b, c
2. Take reciprocals of intercepts
3. Reduce to smallest integer values
4. Enclose in parentheses, no
commas i.e., (hkl)

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Crystallographic Planes z
example a b c
1. Intercepts 1 1  c
2. Reciprocals 1/1 1/1 1/
1 1 0
3. Reduction 1 1 0 y
a b
4. Miller Indices (110)
x
z
example a b c
1. Intercepts 1/2   c
2. Reciprocals 1/½ 1/ 1/
2 0 0
3. Reduction 1 0 0
y
4. Miller Indices (100) a b
x
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Crystallographic Planes
z
example a b c c
1. Intercepts 1/2 1 3/4 
2. Reciprocals 1/½ 1/1 1/¾
2 1 4/3  y

3. Reduction 6 3 4 a b

4. Miller Indices (634) x

Family of Planes {hkl}

Ex: {100} = (100), (010), (001), (100), (010), (001)

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Crystallographic Planes
• We want to examine the atomic packing of
crystallographic planes
• Iron can be used as an example. The atomic
packing of the exposed planes is important.
a) Draw (100) and (111) crystallographic planes
for Fe.
b) Calculate the planar density for each of these planes.

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Planar Density of (100) Iron
Solution: At T < 912ºC iron has the BCC structure.
2D repeat unit

(100) 4 3
a= R
3

Adapted from Fig. 3.2(c), Callister & Rethwisch 8e. Radius of iron R = 0.1241 nm
atoms
2D repeat unit 1
1 atoms atoms
Planar Density = = 2 = 12.1 = 1.2 x 10 19

area a2 4 3 nm 2
m2
R
2D repeat unit 3
24
 Planar Density of (111) Iron
Solution (cont): (111) plane 1 atom in plane/ unit surface cell

2a atoms in plane
atoms above plane

ni t
atoms below plane

tu
ea
rep
3
h= a

2D
2
2
æ 4 3 ö 16 3 2
area = 2 ah = 3 a = 3 çç
2
R  = R
atoms è 3 ø 3
2D repeat unit 1
atoms = atoms
Planar Density = = 7.0 0.70 x 1019
area 16 3 2
nm
2
m2
R
2D repeat unit 3
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Crystals as Building Blocks
• Some engineering applications require single crystals:
-- diamond single -- turbine blades
crystals for abrasives Fig. 8.33(c), Callister &
Rethwisch 8e. (Fig. 8.33(c)
(Courtesy Martin Deakins,
courtesy of Pratt and
GE Superabrasives,
Whitney).
Worthington, OH. Used with
permission.)

• Properties of crystalline materials

often related to crystal structure.
-- Ex: Quartz fractures more easily

along some crystal planes than

others. (Courtesy P.M. Anderson)

26
Polycrystals Anisotropic
• Most engineering materials are polycrystals.

Adapted from Fig. K,

color inset pages of
Callister 5e.
(Fig. K is courtesy of
Paul E. Danielson,
Teledyne Wah Chang
Albany)
1 mm

• Nb-Hf-W plate with an electron beam weld. Isotropic

• Each "grain" is a single crystal.
• If grains are randomly oriented,
overall component properties are not directional.
• Grain sizes typically range from 1 nm to 2 cm
(i.e., from a few to millions of atomic layers).
27
Single vs Polycrystals
• Single Crystals E (diagonal) = 273 GPa
Data from Table 3.3,
-Properties vary with Callister & Rethwisch
8e. (Source of data is
direction: anisotropic. R.W. Hertzberg,
Deformation and
-Example: the modulus Fracture Mechanics of
Engineering Materials,
of elasticity (E) in BCC iron: 3rd ed., John Wiley and
Sons, 1989.)

E (edge) = 125 GPa

• Polycrystals
-Properties may/may not 200 mm Adapted from Fig.
4.14(b), Callister &
vary with direction. Rethwisch 8e.
(Fig. 4.14(b) is courtesy
-If grains are randomly of L.C. Smith and C.
Brady, the National
oriented: isotropic. Bureau of Standards,
Washington, DC [now
(Epoly iron = 210 GPa) the National Institute of
-If grains are textured, Standards and
Technology,
anisotropic. Gaithersburg, MD].)

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Polymorphism
• Two or more distinct crystal structures for the same
material (allotropy/polymorphism)
iron system
titanium
, -Ti liquid
1538ºC
carbon BCC -Fe
diamond, graphite 1394ºC
FCC -Fe
912ºC
BCC -Fe

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SUMMARY
• Atoms may assemble into crystalline or
amorphous structures.
• Common metallic crystal structures are FCC, BCC, and

HCP.
• We can predict the density of a material, provided we
know the atomic weight, atomic radius, and crystal
geometry (e.g., FCC, BCC).
• Crystallographic points, directions and planes are
specified in terms of indexing schemes.
Crystallographic directions and planes are related
to atomic linear densities and planar densities.

30
SUMMARY
• Materials can be single crystals or polycrystalline.
Material properties generally vary with single crystal
orientation (i.e., they are anisotropic), but are generally
non-directional (i.e., they are isotropic) in polycrystals
with randomly oriented grains.
• Some materials can have more than one crystal
structure. This is referred to as polymorphism (or
allotropy).

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