Thanks to ultra-precise microscopy, a research team involving KIT has been able to experimentally demonstrate for the first time how grains rotate in metals

Determining exactly how materials deform is key to better engineering and design, but certain processes, such as the mechanism behind rigid body rotation of grains, have been challenging to isolate. Tian et al. used four-dimensional transmission electron microscopy to study the mechanism behind nanograin rotation in a platinum thin film. The authors identified a primary mechanism for rotation, along with a correlation between rotation and grain growth or shrinkage. These observations should help us better understand the mechanical properties of a wide range of materials.

Paper: Grain rotation mechanisms in nanocrystalline materials: Multiscale observations in Pt thin films. Science. 3 Oct 2024. Vol 386, Issue 6717, pp. 49-54.

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