NMR Measurement of the Diffusion Coefficient of Pure Aluminum

Using a radio-frequency field pulse technique which enables measurement of slow atomic diffusion by means of nuclear magnetic resonance we have obtained, for nominally 6–9's pure Al, an activation energy for self-diffusion of 28.75 ± 0.8 kcal/mole. Data was obtained over a range of 5 decades in atomic jump rate (240°C to 550°C) and joins smoothly with other diffusion coefficient measurements at the extremes.