Grain-boundary diffusion of cobalt in submicrocrystalline molybdenum obtained by high-pressure torsion

Radiometric layer-by-layer analysis has been used to study the grain-boundary diffusion of Co in submicrocrystalline Mo produced by severe plastic deformation using high-pressure torsion. It has been found that, under severe plastic deformation, nonequilibrium grain boundaries have been formed, which are ultrafast diffusion paths. During annealing, the recovery of nonequilibrium grain boundaries takes place. The properties of boundaries that underwent the recovery were shown to be close to those of boundaries originated by recrystallization in coarse-grained Mo. As the annealing temperature increases, the fraction of nonequilibrium boundaries decreases; and beginning from 823 K, there are no more nonequilibrium boundaries in the structure.