Ultra-fast solute diffusion in α-Ti and α-Zr

Abstract

Diffusion of ⁶³Ni in polycrystalline α-Ti and of ⁵⁹Fe, ⁶⁰Co and ⁶³Ni in α-Zr has been measured. In α-Zr, single crystals were used for studies of Ni and Go diffusion, while the experiments on Fe diffusion were done on polycrystalline specimens.

All the solutes studied exhibited extremely fast diffusion compared to self-diffusion in the host metals.

It is suggested that these solutes diffuse by an interstitial mechanism and that very fast solute diffusion in the b.c.c. forms of Ti and Zr may be predominantly of an interstitial nature.