Topic: A new way of describing the interaction of solute atoms and defects

Abstract

Willard Gibbs Adsorption Isotherm and Carl Wagner’s definition of excess solute at surfaces and grain boundaries are both extended to include other crystalline defects like dislocations and vacancies. Thus solute segregation to dislocations and vacancies gives rise to a reduction of their formation energies, too. The results of the presented treatment are compared with results stemming from experiments, Statistical Mechanics or Computer Simulations. Thus phenomena and models like solid solution softening, hydrogen enhanced local plasticity, brittleness of hydrides, and superabundant vacancies could be interpreted on the basis of thermodynamics as caused by changing the defect energy by solute segregation. Special attention is paid to the intriguing question whether defect energies might become zero or negative. 

 

Curriculum Vitae 

Prof. Dr. Reiner Kirchheim
Institut für Materialphysik
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1
D-37077 Göttingen

Tel.: +49 551 39-5001
Fax: +49 551 39-5000
email: rkirch (at) ump.gwdg.de

Raum: D.04.121

Education and Professional Experiences:
1966-1970: Studying Physics at the University of Stuttgart
1970-1971: Diploma work at the Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung/University of Stuttgart (Title: Electrochemical studies of oxygen solid solutions in high melting metals)
1971-1973: PhD degree at the Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung/University of Stuttgart (Title: Thermo- and electrotransport of oxygen and nitrogen in Va metals)
1979: post-doc at Rice University, Houston, Texas
1983: visiting professor at the University of Illinois
1988: Habilitation in the subject of metallurgy in the faculty of chemistry at the University of Stuttgart (Title: Measurements and modelling of hydrogen solubility and diffusivity in disordered metal lattices)
1993: visiting professor at the Ohio State University
1998: visiting professor at the Neutron Research Center, NIST, Gaithersburg

Research Areas and Interests:
Hydrogen in metals, Thermodynamics of alloys, Interstital solution and diffusion in glasses (metals, oxides, polymers and semiconductors), Solute-atom segregation at and diffusion in internal interfaces, Mechanical properties and glass transition of polymers, Passivity of metals, Electromigration in metals

Membership:
German Physical Society (Chairman of the Metal Physics Committee, 1994-1998),
German Society for Materials Research (Member of the Education Committee)

Editorial Boards:
Acta Materialia (editor), Materials Transactions, Interfaces, Zeitschrift für Metallkunde, Materials Science Foundations

Honors and Awards:
Scripta metallurgica outstanding paper award, 1987
Chairman of the Gordon Conference on Metal Hydrogen Systems VI, Tilton, NH, July 1991
Carl Wagner Prize, 1990
Elected Member of the Academy of Science Göttingen (1998)
Elected Member of the Academy of Science and Technology (acatech), Germany (2002)
Highly Cited Author in Materials Science, (1980-2000)
Honda Memorial Award, Tohoku-University, Sendai, 2003
Heyn-Denkmünze (higest award of the German Materials Society, DGM), 2004
International Award of Materials Engineering for Recourses, Akita, Japan, 2005