Chapter Learning Objective

 What is diffusion and how it occur?

 What are some engineering applications for diffusion?

 Name and describe the two atomic mechanisms of diffusion.

 Distinguish between steady-state and non-steady-state diffusion.

 (a) Write Fick’s first and second laws in equation form and define all parameters.

(b) Note the kind of diffusion for which each of these equations is normally applied.
 Calculate the diffusion coefficient for a material at a specified temperature, given the
appropriate diffusion constants.
 How does diffusion depend on structure and temperature?
 Introduction
 Diffusion is transfer of mass either within a specific solid by atomic motion or

from a liquid, a gas, or another solid phase.

 Interdiffusion: In an alloy, atoms tend to migrate from regions of high

concentration region to regions of low concentration.

 Introduction
 Interdiffusion: In an alloy, atoms tend to migrate from regions of high

concentration region to regions of low concentration.

 Introduction
 Self-diffusion: In an elemental solid, atoms also migrate.
 DIFFUSION MECHANISMS
 Two conditions must be met:

 There must be an empty adjacent site, and

 The atom must have sufficient energy to break bonds with its neighbor atoms and

then cause some lattice distortion during the displacement.

 Several different models for this atomic motion have been proposed; of these
possibilities; two dominate for metallic diffusion:
 Vacancy Diffusion

 Interstitial Diffusion