ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No.

Diffusion
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 2

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, students will be able to:-

• Describe how diffusion occurs.

• Understand how diffusion is used in materials

processing.

• Use expressions of diffusion rate to describe the

influence of structure and temperature.
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 3

Diffusion
Diffusion: Mass transport by atomic motion

• Gases & Liquids – random (Brownian) motion

www.Wikipedia.com/Brownian_motion
• Solids – Two mechanisms:
Vacancy diffusion or Interstitial diffusion
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 4

Diffusion
Interdiffusion: In an alloy, atoms tend to migrate from regions of
high concentration to regions of low concentration
Initially After some time

Adapted from Figs. 5.01 and 5.02, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 5

Diffusion
Self-diffusion: In an elemental solid, atoms also migrate.

Labelled atoms After some time

C
C
A D
A
D
B
B
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 6

Diffusion mechanisms 1
Vacancy Diffusion: atoms exchange with vacancies

increasing elapsed time

Applies to substitution (impurity) atoms

Rate of vacancy diffusion depends on:
• number of vacancies
• activation energy to exchange
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 7

Diffusion mechanisms 2

Interstitial diffusion: smaller atoms can diffuse between atoms.

More rapid than vacancy diffusion

Adapted from Fig. 5.03,
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 8

Processing using diffusion

Case Hardening:

An example of interstitial diffusion

is a case hardened gear.

Carbon atoms diffuse into the host

iron atoms at the surface.

Result: The presence of C Fig. 05, pg 122a, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
(Courtesy of
atoms makes iron (steel) harder Surface Division, Midland-Ross.)
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 9

Quantifying Diffusion

How do we quantify the amount or rate of diffusion?

Diffusion Flux, J

moles (or mass) diffusing mol kg

J  Flux   or 2
surface area time  2
cm s m s
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 10

Steady-state diffusion
Rate of diffusion independent of time
dC
Flux proportional to concentration gradient =
dx

C1
C1 Fick’s first law of diffusion:

dC
C2 C2 J  D
dx
x1 x2
x
dC C C2  C1
if linear   D  diffusion coefficient
dx x x2  x1
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 11

Example: Chemical protective

clothing (CPC)
Methylene chloride is a common ingredient of paint removers.
Besides being an irritant, it also may be absorbed through skin.
When using this paint remover, protective gloves should be
worn.

If butyl rubber gloves (0.04 cm thick) are used, what is the

diffusive flux of methylene chloride through the glove?

Data:
Diffusion coefficient in butyl rubber: D = 110 x10-8 cm2/s
C1 = 0.44 g/cm3
surface concentrations:
C2 = 0.02 g/cm3
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 12

Example: Chemical protective

clothing (CPC)
Solution: – assuming linear conc. gradient
glove
C1 dC C2  C1
tb 
2 J  -D  D
paint
6D dx x2  x1
skin
remover
C2 Data: D = 110 x 10-8 cm2/s
x1 x2 C1 = 0.44 g/cm3
C2 = 0.02 g/cm3
x2 – x1 = 0.04 cm

-8 2 (0.02 g/cm 3  0.44 g/cm 3 ) g

J   (110 x 10 cm /s)  1.16 x 10-5
(0.04 cm) cm2s
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 13

Non-steady state diffusion

The concentration of diffusing species is a function of both
time and position C = C(x,t)

C  2C
In this case Fick’s Second Law is used D 2
t x

Cs

Adapted from Fig. 5.05, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 14

Diffusion and temperature

Diffusion coefficient increases with increasing temperature

 Qd 
D  Do exp  
 RT 

D = diffusion coefficient (m2/s)

Do = a temperature-independent pre-exponential (m2/s)
Qd = activation energy (J/mol or eV/atom)
R = gas constant (8.314 J/mol·K)
T = temperature (K)
 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 15

Diffusion in different systems

1500

1000
T(C)

600

300
10-8
C
in

Ci
g-

D (m2/s) na
Fe

-Fe

D interstitial >> D substitutional

Fe

10 -14
Fe

in

C in α-Fe Al in Al
a-
ngi

Al
Fe

C in γ-Fe Fe in α-Fe
in
-Fe

Al

Fe in γ-Fe

10-20
0.5 1.0 1.5 1000 K/T

Adapted from Fig. 5.07, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

 ENR116 – Mod. 2- Slide No. 16

Summary

• Solid-state diffusion is mass transport at the

atomic level.

• Diffusion occurs using imperfections in solids i.e.

Vacancies and interstitials.

• The coefficient of diffusion is a function of

temperature.