iticstructuresjointogetheratb)andc).Developmentisstoppedbyinterferencewithadjacentstructuresandthecontainerorthegrainboundaries晶界SpaceLattices.Eachgrainconsistsofmillionsoftinyunitcellsmadeupofatomsthatarearrangedinadefinitegeometricpatternofimaginarypoints.Theatomicarrangementsfoundinmostmetalsare:a)body-centeredcubic(BCC),b)face-centeredcubic(FCC),andc)hexagonalclose-packed(HCP)(seeFig.1-3-2).Fig.1-3-2TheatomicstructureofsomemetalsUponcooling,thespacelatticestructuresexpandinalldirectionsoftheaxesofthelatticeuntildevelopmentisstoppedbycontactwiththecontainerorbycontactwithadjacentgrowinggrains.Wherethecrystalsmeetorintersect,itisimpossibleforanotherspacelatticetodevelop.Thus,atthegrainboundariestheatomicdistancesarenotcorrectandtheatomsarenotinastablepositionbutareinahigherstateofenergy.