Zhou LL, Liu RS, Tian ZA, Liu HR, Hou ZY, Peng P. Crystallization characteristics in supercooled liquid zinc during isothermal relaxation: A molecular dynamics simulation study.
Sci Rep 2016;
6:31653. [PMID:
27526660 PMCID:
PMC4985810 DOI:
10.1038/srep31653]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The crystallization characteristics in supercooled liquid Zn during isothermal relaxation were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations by adopting the cluster-type index method (CTIM) and the tracing method. Results showed that the crystallization process undergo three different stages. The size of the critical nucleus was found to be approximately 90–150 atoms in this system; the growth of nuclei proceeded via the successive formation of hcp and fcc structures with a layered distribution; and finally, the system evolved into a much larger crystal with a distinct layered distribution of hcp and fcc structures with an 8R stacking sequence of ABCBACAB by adjusting all of the atoms in the larger clusters according to a certain rule.
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