Diffraction Studies of the Atomic Structure of Grain Boundaries

The recent results of the application of diffraction techniques to study the atomic structure of grain boundaries are reviewed. The outcome of the first determination of a grain boundary structure using diffraction information alone is examined. The influence of a particular metal on the grain boundary structure is examined. The variation of grain boundary structural width with parameters such as misorientation angle and boundary plane is studied. Generalizations are made concerning the structure of large angle boundaries based on the results of the diffraction studies.