Diffusional growth of ordered phases in which superlattices are formed: a hitherto poorly discussed problem
摘要
The unusually fast diffusional layer growth which observed in some solid-state reactions can be linked to the superlattice formation in the product phase. The reaction product layer in such diffusion zone composes numerous antiphase domains separated by antiphase boundaries. These planar defects provide short-circuit diffusion paths leading to very fast growth, while the overall reaction kinetics is found to follow parabolic law. Formation of intermetallic phases in diffusion couples based on Sn and Cu-Ni alloys containing up to 25 at% of Ni and interdiffusion in ordered Fe(Si)-solid solutions were discussed to illustrate this peculiar reaction behaviour. When a superlattice occurs in the product phase, diffusion along the antiphase boundaries can be a dominant mass-transport mechanism in the intermetallic layer. Since the generally accepted treatment of the Kirkendall effect assumes that mass-transport through the reaction zone is controlled by a vacancy-mediated (lattice) diffusion, it is not clear whether it is still possible to obtain meaningful information about relative mobilities of species by monitoring behaviour (migration) of fiducial markers initially introduced at the contact surface of the diffusion couple.