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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Complex dynamics during metal dissolution: from intrinsic to faceted anomalous scaling.
P Córdoba-Torres1, T J Mesquita, I N Bastos
1UMR5266 and 5631 INP Grenoble-CNRS-UJF, SIMAP and LEPMI, BP 75, 38402 St Martin d'Hères, France. pcordoba@dfmf.uned.es
This study reveals two distinct growth stages in dissolving iron surfaces, transitioning from intrinsic anomalous scaling to faceted anomalous scaling. This provides the first experimental proof of this transition and may explain striped patterns in metal evolution.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Physics
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Kinetic roughening is a fundamental process in materials science, influencing surface properties and performance.
- Understanding surface evolution dynamics is crucial for controlling material behavior in various applications.
- Polycrystalline pure iron serves as a model system for studying dissolution and surface morphology changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the kinetic roughening of dissolving polycrystalline pure iron.
- To identify and characterize different growth regimes and their scaling properties.
- To provide experimental evidence for theoretically predicted anomalous scaling behaviors.
Main Methods:
- In-situ surface analysis using depth profiling of surface images.
- Quantitative analysis of surface morphology evolution over time.
- Characterization of scaling anomalous properties within different growth regimes.
Main Results:
- Observed two consecutive growth regimes during the kinetic roughening of dissolving pure iron.
- Identified distinct anomalous scaling properties for each regime.
- Demonstrated a transition from intrinsic anomalous scaling to theoretically conjectured faceted anomalous scaling in the thick film limit.
- Provided the first experimental evidence for this specific scaling transition.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates a novel two-stage kinetic roughening mechanism in dissolving pure iron.
- The findings confirm the theoretical prediction of faceted anomalous scaling.
- The observed dynamics offer a potential explanation for striped surface patterns in evolving metals and alloys.
- This research contributes to a deeper understanding of surface evolution in materials processing.
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