The interaction of interstitial N with substitutional alloying elements was studied by measuring the Snoek relaxation in very dilute Fe-X-N ternary alloys (with X = V, Cr, Mn or Mo). Isothermal measurements, performed using the sub-resonance forced-vibration technique, revealed a characteristic influence of substitutional solutes upon the Snoek relaxation. This could be understood as being a trapping of N atoms at sites which neighbored X atoms. The interaction energy was estimated by comparing the relaxation profiles which were observed experimentally, with those calculated theoretically. The resultant values were of the order of 0.1eV; with the magnitude being larger for elements of smaller group-number. They were similar to those in the γ and liquid phases.

Interaction between Substitutional and Interstitial Solute Atoms in α-Iron Studied by Isothermal Mechanical Spectroscopy. X.S.Guan, Y.Nishizawa, K.Okamura, H.Numakura, M.Koiwa: Materials Science and Engineering A, 2004, 370[1-2], 73-7