M - C dipole formation in fcc (face centred cubic) Fe1-yMyCx solid solution (M=Ti,Nb)

Abstract Available equilibrium carbon solubility data for fcc (face centred cubic) Fe1 - yMyCx solid solution (M = Ti,Nb) reported as functions of temperature T and carbon activity a (C) were analysed taking into account the atomic interaction parameters derived through statistical thermodynamic analysis of related systems. In the fcc Fe1-yMyCx under consideration, the affinity between C atom and M atom (M = Ti,Nb) is very much more attractive than that between C and Fe. Correspondingly, the atom configuration model in which M atoms are distributed randomly over the metal sub-lattice Fe1 - yMy and all the M atoms in the Fe1 - yMyCx are bonded to C to form M - C dipoles was concluded to be the most realistic one reproducing the experimentally determined a (C) - T - x relationships at respective y.