Lecture-4

Hexagonal Structure &

Packing in Solids
 Learning Objectives
• Hexagonal structure

• Packing

• 1D packing

• 2D packing

• 3D packing

• Position of Voids in ccp/fcc structure

 Packing
Packing refers to the ways of stacking
constituent particles or layers to form solids
with minimum potential energy.
• 1D packing forms a line of constituent particles in the solid
1D
• 2D packing forms a layer / plane of constituent particles in solids
2D
• 3D packing forms the whole solid
3D

1D Packing: C.N = 2
 2D packing
AAAA Type (2D square)
Square Voids

C.N = 4

2D Hexagonal
Trigonal Voids

C.N = 6
 3D Packing

3D Packing

Square Hexagonal

AAAA Type ABABAB Type ABABAB Type ABCABC Type

 Square
AAAA Type
Square Voids
A Layer

B Layer

A Layer
ABAB Type (BCC Structure)
C.N = 6
C.N = 8
 Hexagonal
HCP (ABAB Type)
Octahedral Voids

A Layer
Consists of
6 atoms

Tetrahedral Voids

Consists of
4 atoms C.N = 12
 Hexagonal
HCP (ABAB Type)
Octahedral Voids

A Layer
Consists of
B Layer 6 atoms

Tetrahedral Voids

Consists of
4 atoms C.N = 12
 Hexagonal
CCP (ABC Type)
Octahedral Voids

A Layer
Consists of
B Layer
6 atoms

C Layer

Tetrahedral Voids

Consists of
4 atoms C.N = 12
 Position of voids in fcc
Tetrahedron

Tetrahedral voids

Position of tetrahedral void

= 3a / 4

No. of Tetrahedral voids per body diagonal = 2

No. of body diagonal = 4
No. of tetrahedral voids per fcc = 2*4 = 8
 Position of voids in fcc
Octahedron

Octahedral void at the centre of the body

Octahedron forms by 6 face centered atoms

Octahedron has eight triangular faces.
No. of octahedral void at the center = 1
 Position of voids in fcc
Octahedron

Octahedral void at the centre of the body

At the center = 1
At edges = 3
Total # of octahedral voids = 4

No. of Octahedral voids at the mid of edge

Each octahedral void at the edge shares 4 unit cell
No. of octahedral voids at edges = 12*1/4 = 3