Kinetics of the formation of supersaturated solid solutions upon mechanical alloying: II. Qualitative analysis of diffusion processes in interstitial solid solutions

Specific features of the kinetics of absorption of atoms of an alloying element by nanostructured alloys which lead to the formation of strongly supersaturated interstitial solid solutions upon plastic deformation of multiphase powder mixtures is discussed. The rate of absorption is shown to substantially depend on the parameters of mechanical action, segregation phenomena at the external and internal boundaries of the solid solution, and mechanisms of plastic deformation of the nanomaterials. Numerical estimates of the parameters that characterize the process of mechanical alloying of the powder mixture of iron with 25 at % carbon are given, which agree satisfactorily with the experimental data.