Packing Efficiency: hcp And ccp Lattice

Summary
LearnNext Lesson Video

HD 6:06

Table of Contents[Show]
Hexagonal close packing (hcp):
In this arrangement, the spheres are closely packed in successive layers in the ABABAB type of
arrangement.
Each unit cell has 17 spheres with radius r and edge length of unit cell 2r.
Number of atoms per unit cell:
Contribution of Corner Spheres to Unit Cell = 12 x 1/6 = 2
Contribution of Face Corner Spheres to Unit Cell = 2 x 1/2 = 1
Contribution of Spheres Inside the Unit Cell = 3 x 1 = 3
Contribution of All Types of Spheres to Unit cell = 6
Calculation of the volume of an HCP unit cell:
Volume = Base Area x height
Base Area = 6 x 3/4 x ( 2r )2

Height of Unit Cell = 4r x (2/3)

Total Volume = 63 r2 x 4r (2/3)
= 24 x 2 x r3
Calculation of Packing fraction in HCP:
Packing Fraction = Volume Occupied by Spheres / Volume of Unit Cell
V(spheres) = 6 x 4/3 x x r3
= 8 r3
Packing Fraction = ( 8 r3 )/(242 r3)
= /32
= 0.74
= 74%
Cubic close packing (ccp) :
Edge length of a unit cell be a =2r, and the radius of each sphere be r. In this arrangement,
each unit cell has eight spheres at the eight corners, and six spheres at the six face centres.
Number of atoms per unit cell:
Contribution of Corner Spheres to Unit Cell = 8 x 1/8 = 1
Contribution of Face Corner Spheres to Unit Cell = 6 x 1/2 = 3
Total Contribution = 1 + 3 = 4
Radius (r) = 2/4 .a
Formula for packing efficiency = volume occupied by the spheres per unit cell / volume of a unit
cell
Volume = 4 x 4/3 x x r3
= 4 x 4/3 x x (2/4 . a)3
Packing Efficiency in CCP Arrangement = 0.7406 = 74.06%