Steel solid solution strengthening

Strong materials either have a high intrinsic strength, /, (like diamond), or they rely on the superposition of. solid solution strengthening obstacles fo and work-hardening f i, (like high-tensile steels). But before we can use this information, one problem... 

Nitrogen stabilizes the y-area in a very clear way. It is undesired in low alloyed steels due to the formation of brittle phases however it is very beneficial in terms of strengthening and corrosion resistance for high alloyed steels. It is considered to be the most efficient solid solution strengthening element. [Pickering, 1988] has reported that nitrogen is approximately twice as efficient as carbon. 

Alloying the metals with other components offers other strengthening mechanisms. Adding a second metal as substitutional atoms in the lattice is known as solid solution hardening. The size difference between the solvent (host) atoms and the solute (impurity) atoms strains the lattice and makes it difficult for dislocations to move. Adding smaller atoms that can go into the interstices produces a similar hardening in the lattice. This is the role that carbon plays in the strengthening of steel. 

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