PART V - The Diffusion of the Tracer, Zn65, in the Copper-Rich Corner of the Alpha Solid Solution in the System Cu-Ni-Zn

As one oi the approacizes to understanding multicorn-ponent dimsion, an expevinzental sturly is being jnade of tracer diffusion in the copper corner of the CLI-Ni-Zn syste?n, out to 30 at. pct each of nickel and zinc, and in the 150°C range oJ temperature just below tlze solidts te?rlperature. The reslts obtained using the Znm isotope are reported heve, while studies with nickel and copper isotopes are planned for a future paper. The fifteen alloys investigated were melted in sealed wear lubes, sroaged, homogenized, and then analyzed, using the conventional isotope-plating plus lathe- sectiorzing teclzniqlte. The data obtaiued show that the difJusion coeflcient of the zinc isotope increases titlz increase in zinc content, and decreases t'itlz incease in nickel content. The correlation xith solidus temperature is particularly strong. Diffirsiui-ties ranged fro u sq cm per sec nt tlze Iiigh-zinc, low-nickel compositions. The activation energy /or tracer diffusion ravied j.or 31.000 to 54,000 calper mole. It is now generally recognized that diffusion data and theories are needed for multicomponent systems, where extensive practical developments and even some theoretical studies have already been made. For example, much recent work on precipitation from solid solution has been concerned with ternary solid solutions such as A-M-Z' while Zener relaxation has been studied on Au-Ag-Zn alloys,' although adequate diffusion data are available for neither of these systems. Actually, the only ternary systems for which systematic diffusion studies have been begun, in addi- tion to the one reported here, are CO-i-cr3 and Cu-A-Au. Since the theory of multicomponent diffusion is still in the stage of active development5 it is important to distinguish the various kinds of diffusion data that can be determined. An oversimplified approach, widely used prior to 1950, was to determine the influence of a third element, such as nickel, on the diffusion behavior of a binary alloy, such as CU-Z. Later it was recognized7 that four diffusion coefficients can be used to describe ordinary interdiffusion in a ternary system, while as many as six coefficients may be required to include the Kirkendall effect. It is likely that the number of independent coefficients will be shown to be less than four and six, respectively, through the application of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes.5 The simplest type of diffusion in a multicomponent system is tracer diffusion, since each component is characterized by its own tracer-diffusion coefficient in an alloy of a given composition. Thus, in a ternary alloy there are three tracer-diffusion coefficients, each a function of composition and temperature. The present research program is a study of tracer diffusion in the copper corner of the Cu-Ni-Zn system out to 30 at. pct each of Ni and Zn in a 150°C range of temperature just below the solidus temperature. The