MATSE 259

Solutions to classwork #4

1. A plate of iron is exposed to a carburizing (carbon-rich) atmosphere on one

side and a decarburizing (carbon-deficient) atmosphere on the other side at
700°C. If a condition of steady state is reached, calculate the diffusion flux of
carbon through the plate if the concentrations of carbon at positions of 5 and 10
mm beneath the carburizing surface are 1.2 and 0.8 kg/m3 respectively. Assume
a diffusion coefficient of 3 x 10-11 m2/s at this temperature.

Fick’s first law is utilized to determine the diffusion flux:

C A − CB (1.2 − 0.8)kg/m 3
J = -D = -(3x10-11m2/s) −3 −2
= 2.4x10-9 kg/m2-s
x A − xB (5x10 − 10 )m

2. The diffusion coefficients for copper in aluminum at 500 and 600°C are 4.8 x
10-14 and 5.3 x 10-13 m2/s, respectively. Determine the approximate time at 500°C
that will produce the same diffusion result (in terms of concentration of Cu at
some specific point in Al) as a 10-h heat treatment at 600°C.

This is a diffusion problem in which the following equation may be employed

x2
= constant
Dt
The composition in both diffusion situations will be equal at the same position
(i.e. x is also a constant), thus

Dt = constant

at both temperatures. That is,

(Dt)500 = (Dt)600

or

(Dt)600 (5.3x10 −13 m 2 /s)(10h)

t500 = = = 110.4 h
D 500 4.8x10 −14 m 2 /s

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3. The purification of hydrogen gas by diffusion through a palladium sheet was
discussed in Section 5.3. Compute the number of kilograms of hydrogen that
pass per hour through a 5-mm thick sheet of palladium having an area of 0.20 m2
at 500 o C. Assume a diffusion coefficient of 1.0 x 10-8 m2/s, that the
concentrations at the high- and low-pressure sides of the plate are 2.4 and 0.6 kg
of hydrogen per cubic meter of palladium, and that steady-state conditions have
been attained.

This problem calls for the mass of hydrogen, per hour, that diffuses through a Pd
sheet. It first becomes necessary to employ both Equations (5.1a) and (5.3).
Combining these expressions and solving for the mass yields

ΔC
M = JAt = - DAt
Δx

⎡0.6 - 2.4 kg/m3⎤

= - (1.0 x 10 m /s)(0.2 m )(3600 s/h)⎢⎢
-8 2 2
-3
⎥
⎥
⎣ 5 x 10 m ⎦

= 2.6 x 10-3 kg/h

4. A sheet of BCC iron 1mm thick was exposed to a carburizing gas atmosphere
on one side and a decarburizing gas atmosphere on the other side at 725°C.
After having reached steady state, the iron was quickly cooled to room
temperature. The carbon concentrations at the two surfaces of the sheet were
determined to be 0.012 and 0.0075 wt%. Compute the diffusion coefficient if the
diffusion flux is 1.4x10-8 kg/m2-s. Hint: Convert the concentrations from weight
percent to kilograms of carbon per cubic meter of iron.

This problem calls for computation of the diffusion coefficient for a steady-state
diffusion situation. Let us first convert the carbon concentrations from wt% to kg
C/m3. Assuming that the addition of carbon does not increase the volume of the
alloy, for 0.012 wt% C

CC
CC
" =
100/ρFe
0.012
= 3
= 9.44 x 10-4 g/cm3 = 0.944 kg/m3
100/7.87g/cm

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Similarly, for 0.0075 wt% C

CC
CC
" =
100/ρFe
0.0075
= 3
= 5.90 x 10-4 g/cm3 = 0.590 kg/m3
100/7.87g/cm

Now, using a form of Equation (5.3)

⎡ xA - xB ⎤
D = - J ⎢⎢C - C ⎥⎥
⎣ A B⎦

⎡ -10-3 m ⎤
= - (1.40 x 10-8 kg/m2-s)⎢⎢ 3 3
⎥
⎥
⎣0.944 kg/m - 0.590 kg/m ⎦

= 3.95 x 10-11 m2/s

5. Cite the values of the diffusion coefficients for the interdiffusion of carbon in
both α-iron (BCC) and γ-iron (FCC) at 900 o C from Table 5.2 on page 101 in the
text book. Which is larger? Explain why this is the case.

We are asked to compute the diffusion coefficients of C in both α and γ iron at

900 o C. Using the data in Table 5.2,

⎡ 80000 J/mol ⎤
Dα = (6.2 x 10-7 m2/s) exp ⎢- (8.31 J/mol-K)(1173 K)⎥
⎣ ⎦

= 1.69 x 10-10 m2/s

⎡ 148000 J/mol ⎤
Dγ = (2.3 x 10-5 m2/s) exp ⎢- (8.31 J/mol-K)(1173 K)⎥
⎣ ⎦

= 5.86 x 10-12 m2/s

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The D for diffusion of C in BCC α iron is larger, the reason being that the
atomic packing factor is smaller than for FCC γ iron (0.68 versus 0.74); this
means that there is slightly more interstitial void space in the BCC Fe, and,
therefore, the motion of the interstitial carbon atoms occurs more easily.