Analysis of Interfacial Energy and Diffusion for Alumina-Glass System by Molecular Dynamics

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study six grain boundaries of α-alumina (Al2O3) with a glassy phase of anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) composition. We calculated excess energy, diffusion constant and ratio of excess volume with different thickness of the glassy film. It was found that excess energy for some grain boundaries exhibited a minimum. When the thickness of the glassy film was thick adequately, excess energy corresponded to the energy of alumina-glass interface and they were different for each interface. Diffusion constants depended on the thickness of the glassy film. The diffusion constant of thin film was smaller than that of thick film. Excess volume was the maximum when the thickness of the glassy film was 0.2~0.3 nm. When the atomic arrangement of the crystals didn’t fit each either, the excess volume of the grain boundary with the glassy film was smaller than that of the pure grain boundary. When the glassy film width was nm order, the atomic arrangement of the glassy phase was regular and the atomic diffusion behavior was approached that of a solid (crystalline) phase. We need to consider not only solid-liquid interface but also solid-solid (crystalline) interface for the structure of ceramics made by liquid phase sintering.