Intergranular describes mechanisms that happen at the interfaces where different crystal grains meet. In metallurgy, it is most often used to describe fracture or corrosion paths. When a metal suffers an intergranular fracture, it breaks along the grain boundaries, often leaving a faceted, rock-candy appearance on the fracture surface.
Heard on the job
We're seeing intergranular cracking in the stainless steel parts exposed to the acid bath.
Also heard as
- intercrystalline
Related terms
Intercrystalline
Occurring along the boundaries between individual grains in a metal structure.
Ductile fracture
A mode of metal failure characterized by extensive plastic deformation before the material finally tears apart.
Polygonization
The rearrangement of dislocations into subgrain boundaries during metal recovery.