Effect of plastic deformation on the kinetics of the solid state reaction between Cu and Zn

The kinetics of the solid-state reaction at the interface of a: Cu-Zn bulk diffusion couple subjected to compressive plastic deformation has been stud ied as a function of plastic strain, strain rate, and temperature. The expe rimental data have been interpreted on the basis of classical atomic transp ort theory, considering also the effect of plastic deformation on the growt h rate of the reaction product. The diffusion coefficient at 150 degrees C (larger than the purely thermal value at the same temperature by about four orders of magnitude) is almost independent of temperature and is linearly dependent on the strain rate at which the deformation occurs. The only para meter controlling the thickness of the reacted layer appears to be the tota l strain experienced by the diffusion couple. These features of plastically enhanced diffusivity are coherent with a simple model of the behavior of t he excess point defects created by plastic deformation, similar to that dev eloped in order to describe radiation-enhanced diffusion. [S0163-1829(99)04 417-3].