Overview of the Meeting

The Gordon Research Conference on Solid State Studies in Ceramics in the summer of 2000 will focus on interfacial networks, their structure, dynamics, and control. We are motivated by the fact that the vast majority of ceramics are used in the form of polycrystals and, in many cases, the macroscopic properties of these materials depend on the types of grain boundaries in a material and the manner in which they are connected. Despite the long history of investigation in this area, there are still fundamental questions that remain unanswered regarding the types of boundaries that occur in nature, the properties of individual boundaries, and how they move during microstructural evolution. Recent experimental and theoretical developments make this an ideal time to convene a meeting of solid state scientists interested in grain boundaries. For example, microanalytical techniques for the chemical, structural, and crystallographic characterization of grain boundaries have increased both the depth and breadth of our knowledge. Furthermore, there are a number of emerging applications for ceramics where it is essential to control the structure of the grain boundary network. The goal of this meeting is to discuss recent advances in the study of grain boundaries, to define and analyze the most important problems, and to identify new research opportunities.