Grain boundary diffusion of Fe in high-purity copper

J Ribbe and G Schmitz and SV Divinski, DIFFUSION IN MATERIALS - DIMAT2008, 289-292, 211-217 (2009).

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/DDF.289-292.211

Grain boundary (GB) diffusion of Fe-59 in high purity polycrystalline copper was measured using the radiotracer technique and precision parallel sectioning in an extended temperature interval. The results of diffusion measurements below 900 K are consistent with Harrison's C kinetics and yield the GB diffusion coefficient of Fe in Cu with the pre-exponential factor of 5.6X10(-6) m(2)/s and the activation enthalpy of 121 kJ/mol. Unexpectedly strong GB segregation of Fe in Cu hindered reliable determination of the Fe diffusivity in the B kinetics. Additionally, unconventional penetration profiles were measured for GB diffusion of Fe-59 in Cu at high temperatures. Molecular dynamics simulation with the literature Finnis-Sinclair type interatomic potentials was performed to shed light into the observed features. A strong effect of the Fe coverage on GB structure and kinetics in pure Cu is predicted at increased temperatures above 900 K.

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