Thermodynamic and kinetic study of diffusion paths in the system Cu-Ag-Zn

Diffusion paths were studied in the ternary Cu - Ag - Zn system between Cu-rich and Ag-rich solid solutions at 670 and 700°C. The experimental concentration profiles were converted to activity profiles using the assessed thermodynamic data. The analogy between solid/solid and solid/ vapour/solid diffusion couples has been demonstrated. The pile-up of both concentration and activity for silver or copper as a matrix component has been shown to be caused by the dominating mobility of zinc. Using a combined thermodynamic and diffusion kinetic method the concentration dependence of the tracer diffusion coefficient of zinc at 670°C has been calculated