Surface and grain-boundary energies of AISI 316 stainless

The effect of boron concentration on the surface and grain-boundary energies of AISI 316 steel at temperatures in the range 950 to 12500C has been examined. Four ingots were used with B contents of 0.001 and 0.006 or 0.0065 wt.-% and C contents of 0.12 and 0.05 or 0.06 wt.-%. The grain-boundary energies were decreased by 12 to 39% on increasing the B concentration but the effect on the surface energies was less clear. Grain-boundary grooves were formed by a surface diffusion process at 950 to 11500C but no consistent effect of B on the diffusion coefficient was apparent. (author)