Grain boundary sliding in pure and segregated bicrystals: a molecular dynamics and first principles study

Sliding behaviors of Sigma 9(221) grain boundary bicrystals have been investigated in pure metals (Al, Ag, Au, Cu, Pt and Co) and in segregated metals (Cu segregated by Al, Ag, Au, Pt and Co) by molecular dynamics simulations and first-principles calculations. The grain boundary energy, the atomic size and the electronegativity of the segregated elements were not critical for the occurrence of grain boundary sliding. On the other hand, the sliding rate increased as the minimum charge density decreased at the bond critical point. This was the case for both pure grain boundary models and segregated grain boundary models. Therefore, it seems that the sliding rate depends on atomic movement at sites with minimum charge density, irrespective of the elements involved and of the presence of segregated atoms.