Specifics of mechanically driven atomic distributions In interstitial alloys

Mechanically driven interstitial atoms distributions are exemplified in the case of FeIx (I = C or N) alloys obtained by ball milling process in the concentration range 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.5. With the chosen processing protocol, the asymptotic completion interstitial distribution depends on x and on the nature of interstitial (C or N) and not on the reactants which only have to respect the aimed nominal composition of the mixture. Mössbauer spectrometry results have proven that the distribution observed for similar interstitial compositions for C and for N are different. The grounds of these differences and the consequences on the structure of mechanically driven alloys are analysed, as well as the influence of nano-structuration on plasticity nanomechanisms. The role of stacking faults shown by diffraction and microscopy results as well as other lattice defects and phase transformation is examined.