The occurrence of diffusion-induced grain boundary migration during the internal reduction of Cr-doped polycrystals and bicrystals was investigated as a function of the O potential gradient, temperature, initial Cr concentration, and orientational relationship between adjacent grains. During internal reduction, the grain boundary migration was driven by point defect relaxation, and by a decrease in interfacial energy due to precipitate coarsening. Experimental observations showed that the migration direction of the boundaries, and the migration velocity, were governed by the coherency strain energy of the boundary plane, the residual stress field around Cr precipitates, and the difference in chemical composition across the boundary.

M.Backhaus-Ricoult, A.Peyrot-Chabrol, S.Hagège: Materials Science Forum, 1996, 207-209, 169-72