Peculiarities of Sn grain boundary diffusion in dilute Cu-based alloys

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 257; p. 126525
• Main Authors: Nikulkina, V., Rodin, A., Bokstein, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.12.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Copper; Copper base alloys; Copper-tin alloys; Diffusion; Dilution; EPMA method; Grain boundaries; Grain boundary diffusion; Materials science; Tin; Copper-tin alloys; EPMA method; Grain boundary diffusion
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2019.126525

•The triple product for Sn GBD in Cu-based alloys was obtained.•The effective activation energy of Sn GBD is about 0.5 from the bulk value.•The accelerated GBD was not revealed for the part of investigated GBs. Sn grain boundary diffusion (GBD) in dilute (up to 2% at Sn) Cu-based alloys was investigated in the temperature range from 560 to 650 °C by the EPMA method. 3-layer samples Cu/Cu-Sn alloy/Cu were prepared. Experimental values of the triple product P = sδDb were obtained in the frame of Fisher-Gibbs model: P = 10−13·exp(−89 kJ/mol/RT) m3s−1. The effective activation energy comprises approximately 0.5 from the bulk value. In the chosen temperature range the path of the bulk diffusion was equal about 10 μm and the path of GBD (Fisher length) varied in the range 20–30 μm. The accelerated GBD was observed only for the part of investigated GBs.