A kinetic model for estimating the boron activation energies in the FeB and Fe2B layers during the gas-boriding of Armco iron: Effect of boride incubation times

•The mass balance equations were formulated for the FeB and Fe2B layers grown on Fe Armco by gas-boriding.•The effect of boride incubation times was incorporated in the present model.•The boride incubation time was shorter for FeB phase.•The calculated boron activation energies in FeB and Fe2B were respectively close to 78.03 and 120.65 kJ mol−1.•The lower activation energy in FeB phase was characteristic of gas-boriding.

The present work deals with a simulation of the growth kinetics of boride layers grown on Armco iron substrate. The formed boride layers (FeB + Fe2B) are obtained by the gas-boriding in the temperature range of 1073-1273 K during a time duration ranging from 80 to 240 min. The used approach solves the mass balance equations at the two growing fronts: (FeB/Fe2B) and (Fe2B/Fe) under certain assumptions. To consider the effect of the incubation times for the borides formation, the temperature-dependent function Φ(T) was incorporated in the model. The following input data: (the boriding temperature, the treatment time, the upper and lower values of boron concentrations in FeB and Fe2B and the experimental parabolic growth constants) are needed to determine the boron activation energies in the FeB and Fe2B layers. The obtained values of boron activation energies were then compared with the values available in the literature. Finally, a good agreement was obtained between the simulated values of boride layers thicknesses and the experimental ones in the temperature range of 1073-1273 K.

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