Impact of the diffusion coefficient calculation on predicting Fe2B boride layer thickness

Abstract

Abstract In this study, a single-phase boride layer thickness Fe2B is predicted on two different substrates (Armco iron and XC38 steel) by following the integral method. This method is a mathematical model based on a system of differential algebraic equations that help to deduce the diffusion coefficient, which is the key factor on predicting the layer thickness. Literatures cover different diffusion coefficients for each substrate, albeit researchers usually extract from experimental data, variations of growth rate constants within only one time treatment and deduce the diffusion coefficient from them. This deduction is done via an estimation of a frequency factor and an activation energy from the growth rate constants. Therefore, our main aim is to illustrate the impact of the deduction of the diffusion coefficient on predicting the boride layer thickness. Lastly, the impact with and without incubation time on the boriding kinetics of both substrates was also examined.