Applications of synchrotron radiation topography to dynamic processes in single crystal materials

Synchrotron radiation topography has been used to investigate, in situ, large (cm³) single crystals undergoing dynamic processes. These investigations include (1) studies of the plastic deformation of Fe-3.5 wt.% Si single crystals, and (2) studies of the solid state polymerization of PTS single crystals. The uniqueness and versatility of the technique for such studies is clearly demonstrated. The deformation studies have shown that the surface orientation of the Fe-3.5 wt.% Si single crystals relative to the slip Burgers vector exerts a strong influence on the slip morphology even in bulk samples. Results obtained from the solid state polymerization studies have shown that when the reaction is initiated thermally, as opposed to photolytically and radiolytically, dislocations play a role in accelerating the reaction kinetics.