Metals and alloys, despite their diversity, have one thing in common: their crystal structure. This means that the atoms of the material are located at specific points in space and at a fixed distance from each other. Within a single crystal, the atomic layout is repeated.
To describe the atomic structure, the term is used crystal lattice (CR) — a spatial grid where metal ions (atoms) are located, and electrons move freely between them. The smallest unit of the Kyrgyz Republic is the unit cell. It can be used to build the entire spatial structure of the material through parallel transfers.
Below we will look at the main types of metal crystal lattices and talk about their importance in creating new steels and precision alloys.
The main types of CR metals include a hexagonal close-packed (GPU) lattice and cubic face-centered (FCC) and volume-centered (BCC). Each of them is characterized by a coordination number (the number of nearest atoms), the distance between them and the packing density, and also reflects the properties shown by metals.
It is a cube consisting of nine atoms: eight of them are located at the unit cell nodes, and the ninth at the intersection of diagonals. The OCK lattice is typical for metals such as vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, chromium and alpha iron (Feα). In the latter (Feα) this structure exists at temperatures up to 911℃.
Iron-based alloys, in which alloying elements are incorporated directly into the Fe lattice, have exactly this crystal structure at room temperature. This is typical for carbon and low-alloy steels (65G, 65S2A, 70S2HA, U8A), as well as for alloys based on gland with a fairly large addition of another chemical element, for example, cobalt, as in a precision soft magnetic alloy 27KH.
Like the BCC, the FCC lattice is a cube, but with additional atoms. The element particles are located not only in the KR nodes and inside the cube (9 in total), but also in the middle of each face at the intersection of diagonals (a total of 6, 14 in total). The face-centered cubic structure is typical for metals such as aluminum, silver, gold, nickel, copper, as well as gamma iron (Fe)𝛾) at temperatures between 911℃ and 1,392℃. In addition, most nickel-based alloys have a FCC lattice, for example, a precision soft magnetic alloy with high magnetic permeability 79NM.
The GPU lattice has a complex structure, which is a hexagonal (hexagonal) prism. A unit cell consists of 17 atoms. They are located at the nodes of each base, as well as in their centers (14 atoms in total). There are three more atoms in the middle of the prism, forming an equilateral triangle. The hexagonal close-packed structure is typical for materials such as manganese, zinc, titanium, cobalt and cadmium.
The crystal lattice is the main building block of materials, which determines their structure and properties. Understanding the types of crystal lattices is important for workings new steels and precision alloys for several reasons, which are described below.
Knowing the type of crystal lattice makes it possible to determine the exact structure of the material, including the location of atoms or ions within it. This is extremely important for understanding the specific properties of the material, such as strength, elasticity and electrical conductivity. For example, a precision magnetic-soft alloy 49K2FA demonstrates streamlining processes that require a special technological approach to production. Understanding the crystal structure of such materials makes it possible to precisely control their properties.
Crystal lattices can undergo various deformations when environmental conditions change or under mechanical stress. Knowing the type of lattice helps you understand how the material will react to deformations and what properties will be modified as a result of these changes. Studies of crystal lattice deformations pave the way for the development of materials with improved mechanical properties and increased resistance to various effects.
Knowing the type of crystal lattice of a material allows engineers and scientists to design new materials with desired properties. Based on knowledge and understanding of the structure and properties of existing materials, they can create innovative alloys with unique characteristics. An example would be a new material HN53MTUBE (NN 178), developed by NICE PZPS, which has improved mechanical and thermal properties.
Thus, knowledge of the types of crystal lattices of materials is a key factor in creating new alloys. It makes it possible to determine their structure, predict and control their deformation behavior, and develop materials with optimal properties for various applications. Understanding the crystal lattice is becoming an integral part of modern materials science and technology, opening up new horizons for innovation and progress in materials science and engineering.
If your projects require the development of new materials or the study of used steels and alloys, the PZPS Research Center invites you to cooperate. You can learn more about the areas of activity, analytical capabilities and terms of cooperation by calling +7 812 740-76-87 or by submitting a request on the site.
