Theoretical diffusion profiles in single-phase ternary systems

Abstract

In order to illustrate the physical meaning of the four independent interdiffusion coefficients which describe a single-phase ternary system, a range of concentration profiles and diffusion paths for the generalized diffusion couple A-10B/A-10C were plotted using three different models of diffusion coefficient behaviour. The shapes of the diffusion paths predicted by these various models were compared with that of an experimentally determined diffusion path from the cobalt solid solution of the substitutional alloy system cobalt-chromium-aluminum. The results indicate that even the most sophisticated dilute solution model fails to predict completely the behaviour of the real system.