Intrinsic stacking faults in body-centred cubic crystals

Abstract A study of the possibility of the existence of stacking faults in b.c.c. crystals on {110} and {112} planes has been performed, representing the lattice by a central force interaction between atoms. The same study was also carried out for {111} planes in f.c.c. crystals. The results for the f.c.c. lattice are in full agreement with the predictions based on a hard-sphere model. However, the results for the b.c.c. lattice are very different and suggest that no stable instrinsic stacking faults of the same type as in f.c.c. crystals can exist either on {110} or on {112} planes in b.c.c. crystals.