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Selected Works of Valery I. Levitas
Article
Nucleation mechanism for reconstructive solid-solid phase transitions via melt mediated nanocluster transformation
Applied Physics Letters (2006)
  • Valery I. Levitas, Texas Tech University
  • Laura B. Smilowitz, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Bryan F. Henson, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Blaine W. Asay, Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Abstract

A general nucleation mechanism is proposed and justified thermodynamically and kinetically. The authors apply it to the β-δphase transformation (PT) in the HMX crystal. It explains the observation of a reconstructive PT very close (0.6K) to the phase equilibrium temperature, despite the large volume change and interface energy. Nanosize clusters of β phase dissolve in a liquid and transform into δ phase clusters. The liquid completely removes the elasticenergy generated by a large volume change. Cluster to cluster PT also drastically reduces the change in interfacial energy. Suggested kinetics for the β-δ PT is in good agreement with experiments..

Disciplines
Publication Date
2006
Publisher Statement

This article is from Applied Physics Letters89 (2006): 231930, doi:10.1063/1.2403900. Posted with permission.

Citation Information
Valery I. Levitas, Laura B. Smilowitz, Bryan F. Henson and Blaine W. Asay. "Nucleation mechanism for reconstructive solid-solid phase transitions via melt mediated nanocluster transformation" Applied Physics Letters Vol. 89 (2006)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/valery_levitas/30/