Numerical analysis of stress gradient and traps effects on carbon diffusion in AISI 316L during low temperature gas phase carburization

In order to elucidate the roles of the composition-induced stress gradient and the traps formed by chromium atoms in carbon diffusion in AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel during low temperature gas phase carburization, the carbon concentration-depth profiles were analyzed by a diffusion model considering the composition-induced stress gradient and the trapping effect. The results show that the carbon concentration-depth profiles calculated by this model show good agreement with the experimental results. The composition-induced compressive stress gradient can enhance the carbon diffusion but reduce the surface carbon concentration; these effects are not pronounced. Carbon atoms prefer to occupy the trap sites, and the detrapping activation energy (Q_t = 33 kJ·mol^-1) was deduced from fitting the experimental carbon concentration-depth profile. Furthermore, this applied diffusion model can be used to interpret the enhanced carbon diffusion in low temperature carburized AISI 316L.