Non-conservation of grain volume during diffusion creep and its effect on denuded zones

It is reasoned in this paper that the traditional assumption of grain volume conservation during diffusion creep is correct only for special grain configurations. An analysis is presented that illustrates this, using a hypothetical arrangement of grains specifically chosen to be stable against both grain boundary sliding and grain rotation, so that the extent of grain volume non-conservation can be illustrated in the absence of these factors. The influence on the development of the 'denuded' zones that characterize diffusion creep in particle-containing materials is addressed. The analysis contributes to an explanation for the discrepancies between the creep strain estimated from zone sizes and the overall specimen strain, a discrepancy that has been used in the past as counter evidence for the diffusion creep mechanism. Suggestions are made for the improved modelling of diffusion creep in polycrystalline materials and duplex structures.