Thermo-kinetic modelling of the giant Snoek effect in carbon-supersaturated iron

International audienceSnoek relaxation in interstitial bcc solid solutions is the origin of the Snoek peak in frequency-dependent and temperature-dependent internal friction measurements. When applied to low-carbon steels, the internal friction profiles show a linear dependence of the peak height with carbon content. However, recent Monte Carlo simulations of frequency-dependent internal friction exhibited a non-linear giant peak height at high carbon contents. To investigate this effect in temperature-dependent internal friction, we developed a thermo-kinetic mean-field theory of the Snoek relaxation phenomenon. By taking into account the collective behaviour of the interstitial atoms, our theory predicts (i) a non-linear dependence of the peak height with composition when approaching the order–disorder transition of the alloy; (ii) a shift in the temperature of the peak; (iii) a composition-dependent activation enthalpy of the relaxation time. The theory is exemplified by the case of carbon-supersaturated iron