The grain boundary diffusivity of Cr in these stainless steels was determined at 518 to 1173K. The magnitudes of the grain-boundary diffusivities were in the order: cold-worked 316, solution-treated 316L, solution-treated 316 and sensitized 316. The grain-boundary diffusivities in these specimens were markedly higher than those previously reported. The activation energies for the former ranged from 85 to 91kJ/mol, whereas those for the latter ranged from 151 to 234kJ/mol.

Low Temperature Grain Boundary Diffusion of Chromium in SUS316 and 316L Stainless Steels. M.Mizouchi, Y.Yamazaki, Y.Iijima, K.Arioka: Materials Transactions, 2004, 45[10], 2945-50