The Formation of Amorphous Iron after Occupancy of Iron Atoms in Vacant Sites of Epsilon-Iron

The primary goal of this chapter is to present two TEM diffraction patterns obtained from a layer of piled-up adhered wear debris on a rubbed surface (more than 100 m thick). The unidirectional rubbing was performed in a low vacuum, splitting the slider from the specimen on a regular basis. The slider and the specimen were made of -iron. One of the diffraction patterns has huge spots and ring halo structures, while the other has tiny, weak spots and rings ring halo structures. This later condition appears to be the one right before perfect amorphization. All the spots in the diffraction patterns correspond to the structure formed due to the occupancy of iron atoms in O and T sites of -iron. Both the occupied structure discussed above and this method of amorphization have not been documented. The environmental circumstances still apply to both the amorphous state and the inhabited structure. The formation of high tensile stress that breaks the atomic bonds in wear debris and the mechanism of high-pressure generation that converted -iron to -iron are both discussed. The latter is seen as having made the occupancy possible.