Generalized Gibbs-Thomson equation for nanoparticles at grain boundaries

A general Gibbs-Thomson equation is derived from the complete free energy description of precipitates at grain boundaries, taking into account the excess free energy of the grain boundary - phase boundary junction. In this model, the equilibrium shape of particles shows a strong dependency on the particle size, which gives rise to a deviation from the classical theory of precipitation. The influence of the line tension of triple junctions on the nucleation energy barrier is discussed.

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