Decomposition of equilibrium interphase boundary in substitutional alloys upon mechanical alloying

Abstract

The vacancy-flux-induced decomposition of an interphase boundary in substitutional alloys has been considered. The interphase boundary decomposition has been described using the nonequilibrium thermodynamics approach, which considers a heterogeneous system to be continuous medium, including the interphase boundary. A hypothesis of local equilibrium in the thermodynamics of a continuous medium has been substituted for a more general hypothesis that takes into account the nonlocal dependence of thermodynamic forces and fluxes on order parameters. The interpretation of the formation of spatial composition modulations during the mechanical alloying of pure metallic Cu–Co, Cu–Fe, and Fe–Cr–Sn powder mixtures has been given.