On the Analysis of Composition Profiles in Binary Single-Phase Diffusion Couples: Systems with a Strong Compositional Dependence of the Interdiffusion Coefficient

Abstract

Diffusion couple technique is an efficient tool for the estimating the chemical diffusion coefficients. Typical experimental uncertainties of the composition profile measurements complicate a correct determination of the interdiffusion coefficients via the standard Boltzmann-Matano, Sauer-Freise or the den Broeder methods, especially for systems with a strong compositional dependence of the interdiffusion coefficient. A new approach for reliable fitting of the experimental profiles with an improved behavior at both ends of the diffusion couple is proposed and tested against the experimental data on chemical diffusion in the system Fe-Ga. An extension of the approach for reliable description of the up-hill diffusion phenomenon in multicomponent systems is presented.