Stacking faults in double hexagonal close-packed crystals

Abstract

Possible deviations in the regular ....ABACA.... sequence of stacking (0004) close-packed planes in the double hexagonal close-packed (d.h.c.p.) structure have been considered. Six intrinsic and one extrinsic type stacking faults have been suggested. The schemes of stacking sequences have been usefully considered in terms of the configurational symbols suggested by Jagodzinski. Extending the Hirth and Lothe procedure, estimates of theoretical fault energies are given in terms of the number of pairs of planes of separation N which are not in the shceme of perfect structure sequence. Relative fault energies have been arrived at reckoning only the first and second nearest neighbour interactions for three ideal situations: (a) the transformation energy of d.h.c.p. structure to either f.c.c. or h.c.p. structure is the same; (b) d.h.c.p. ⇌ f.c.c. transformation occurs; and (c) d.h.c.p. ⇌ h.c.p. transformation occurs.