| Abstrakt: |
Measurements of the temperature, mass and pressure dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient have proved to be particularly valuable in determining the mechanism of diffusion. The interpretation of these data in terms of diffusion by monovacancies and divacancies has, in general, been successful and has provided information on the properties of these intrinsic defects. In the present review we first develop in some detail the equations that relate defect properties to measurable diffusion parameters for use in this and the following papers. Diffusion in selected pure metals is then reviewed. The potential errors inherent in relating high-temperature diffusion data over a limited temperature range to properties of monovacancies are demonstrated for a number of metals. The magnitude of the temperature dependence of defect properties is not well known, which increases our uncertainty in divacancy properties but has less effect on monovacancy properties deduced from tracer-diffusion measurements. |
