2. Interactions between point defects and grain boundaries: segregation

Segregation at grain boundaries results from the redistribution of solute (controlled addition or impurity) between crystals and boundaries during thermal or thermomechanical processing. For any polycrystalline material, solute enrichment at the joints has important consequences on structural and functional properties: brittleness or consolidation, intergranular corrosion, intergranular slippage, modification of electrical properties, etc. For comprehensive documentation on segregation, readers may refer to .

Depending on the driving forces involved, a distinction is made between :

• equilibrium...