Diffusion of Cr in nanostructured fe and low carbon steel produced by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment

By means of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT), nanostructured (NS) surface layers were fabricated on a pure iron plate and a low carbon steel plate. Cr diffusion behaviors in the NS Fe phase and the SMAT low carbon steel were investigated. Experimental results showed the activation energy of Cr diffusion in the NS Fe is comparable to that of the GB diffusion, but the pre-exponential factor is much higher. A much thicker Cr-diffusion surface layer was obtained in the SMAT low carbon steel plate than in the coarse-grained one after the same chromizing treatment. The much enhanced diffusivities of Cr in the SMAT samples can be attributed to numerous GBs and triple junctions with a high excess stored energy in the NS surface layer.