Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation of Precipitation Behavior in Age-Hardenable Cu-Ti Alloys by an Extraction-Based Approach

  • Published:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated the precipitation processes in Cu-4 mol pct Ti alloy specimens aged at 723 K (450 °C), by means of X-ray diffraction and chemical analyses of the precipitates extracted from the parent alloy specimens. Aging-induced precipitate particles of a spinodally decomposed disorder, α′; those of a metastable order, β′-Cu4Ti; and those of a stable order, β-Cu4Ti, were continuously formed in the aged specimens. The extraction of the precipitate particles from the aged specimens by submergence in a nitric solution allowed for not only the structural analyses of the constituent precipitate phases but also the quantitative evaluation of their chemical compositions and volume fractions. Early during the aging process, the supersaturated Cu solid solution decomposes spinodally in a continuous manner, and an unstable disorder, α′, appears. Then, fine needle-shaped β′-Cu4Ti particles, which have a Ti content of approximately 37.5 mol pct, form in the Cu matrix. During prolonged aging, coarse cellular components composed of the terminal Cu solid solution and stable β-Cu4Ti particles which have a Ti content of 20.5 mol pct nucleate and grow, primarily in the grain boundaries, at the expense of the metastable β′-Cu4Ti particles. The volume fraction of the β′-Cu4Ti particles in the alloy reaches a maximum of approximately 1.7 pct after aging for 24 hours, while that of the β-Cu4Ti particles increases steadily to more than 18 pct after 480 hours. The volume fraction of the fine β′-Cu4Ti particles in the alloy specimens remained constant throughout the age-hardening, indicating that the hardening is primarily owing to the fine dispersion of the β′-Cu4Ti particles and not because of the large volume fraction of coarse β-Cu4Ti particles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J.Y. Brun, S.J. Hamar-Thibault, and C.H. Allibert: Z. Metallk., 1983, vol. 74, pp. 525–29.

    Google Scholar 

  2. M.J. Saarivirta and H.S. Cannon: Met. Prog., 1959, vol. 76, pp. 81–84.

    Google Scholar 

  3. S. Nagarjuna, K. Balasubramanian, and D.S. Sarma: Mater. Trans. JIM, 1995, vol. 36, pp. 1058–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. A.A. Hameda and L. Blaz: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1998, vol. 254, pp. 83–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. R. Markandeya, S. Nagarjuna, and D.S. Sarma: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2004, vol. 404, pp. 305–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. S. Nagarjuna and D.S. Sarma: J. Mater. Sci., 2002, vol. 37, pp. 1929-40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Sobhani, A. Mirhabibi, H. Arabi, and R.M.D. Brydson: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2013, vol. 577, pp. 16–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D. Bozic, J. Stasic, J. Ruzic, M. Vilotijevic, and V. Rajkovic: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2011, vol. 528, pp. 8139-44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Semboshi and T.J. Konno: J. Mater. Res., 2008, vol. 23, pp. 473–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S. Semboshi, T. Nishida, and H. Numakura: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2009, vol. 517, pp. 105–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. S. Semboshi, T. Nishida, H. Numakura, T. Al-Kassab, and R. Kirchheim: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2011, vol. 42A, pp. 2136–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D.E. Laughlin and J.W. Cahn: Acta Metall., 1975, vol. 23, pp. 329–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. J.A. Cornie, A. Datta, and W.A. Soffa: Metall. Trans., 1973, vol. 4A, pp. 727–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Datta A and W.A. Soffa: Acta Metall., 1976, vol. 24, pp. 987–1001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. L.A. Nesbit and D.E. Laughlin: Acta Metall., 1978, vol. 26, pp. 815–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. W.A. Soffa and D.E. Laughlin: Acta Metall., 1989, vol. 37, pp. 3019–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. W.A. Soffa and D.E. Laughlin: Prog. Mater. Sci., 2004, vol. 49, pp. 347–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. T.J. Konno, R. Nishio, S. Semboshi, T. Ohsuna, and E. Okunishi: J. Mater. Sci., 2008, vol. 43, pp. 3761–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. H.U. Pfeifer, S. Bhan, and K. Schubert: J. Less-Common Met., 1968, vol. 14, pp. 291–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. R.C. Ecob, J.V. Bee, B. Ralph: Phys. Status. Solidi. (a), 1979, vol. 52, pp. 201–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. R.C. Ecob, J.V. Bee, and B. Ralph: Metall. Trans. A, 1980, vol. 11A, pp. 1407–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. A.W. Thompson and J.C. Williams: Metall. Trans. A, 1983, vol. 15A, pp. 931–37.

    Google Scholar 

  23. A. Chanda and M. De; J. Alloys Compd., 2000, vol. 313, pp. 104–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. A.K. Gupta, P.H. Marios, and D.J. Lloyd: Mater. Charact., 1996, vol. 37, pp. 61–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. T. Nagasaka, Y. Hishinuma, T. Muroga, Y. Li, H. Watanabe, H. Tanigawa, H. Sakasegawa, and M. Ando: Fusion. Eng. Des., 2011, vol. 86, pp. 2581-84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. A.L. Rivas, D.K. Matlock, and J.G. Speer: Mater. Charact., 2008, vol. 59, pp. 571–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. M. Femandes, N. Cheung N, and A. Garcia: Mater. Charact., 2002, vol. 48, pp. 255–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Z. Rdzawski and J. Stobrawa: Scripta Metall., 1986, vol. 20, pp. 341–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. M.Y.W. Lou and N.J. Grant: Metall. Trans. A, 1984, vol. 15A, pp. 1491–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. S. Semboshi, M. Ishikuro, S. Sato, K. Wagatsuma, and T. Takasugi: Mater. Charact., 2013, vol. 82, pp. 23–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. S. Nagarjuna and M. Srinvivas: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2005, vol. 406, pp. 185–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. P.E. Donovan: J. Mater. Sci. Let., 1985, vol. 4, pp. 1337–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. T. Souma and M. Ohtaki: J. Alloys Compd., 2006, vol. 413, pp. 289–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. W.A. Johnson and R. F. Mehl: Trans. AIME, 1939, vol. 135, pp. 416–17.

    Google Scholar 

  35. M. Avrami: J. Chem. Phys., 1939, vol. 7, pp. 1103–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. M.J. Richards and J.W. Cahn: Acta Metall., 1971, vol. 19, pp. 1263–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. N. Karlsson: J. Inst. Met., 1951, vol. 78, pp. 391–405.

    Google Scholar 

  38. T. Gladman: Mater. Sci. Technol., 1999, vol. 15, pp. 30–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Professor N. Masahashi of the Institute for Materials Research (IMR) of Tohoku University, Professor Y. Kaneno and Dr. Y. Sakamoto of Osaka Prefecture University, and Dr. A. Sugarawa and Dr. W.L. Gao of DOWA METALTECH Co., Ltd. for useful discussions and comments. The authors also thank Mr. E. Aoyagi and Mr. Y. Hayasaka of the IMR for their technical assistance. Financial supports provided by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in the form of a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) (No. 23686104), and by the Japan Copper and Brass Association are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kansai Center, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Gakuen-cho 1-1, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan

    Satoshi Semboshi (Associate Professor)

  2. Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8577, Japan

    Satoshi Semboshi (Associate Professor), Shigeo Sato (Associate Professor), Mikio Ishikuro (Senior Engineer) & Kazuaki Wagatsuma (Professor)

  3. Department of Materials Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho 1-1, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan

    Akihiro Iwase (Professor) & Takayuki Takasugi (Professor)

Authors
  1. Satoshi Semboshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shigeo Sato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mikio Ishikuro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kazuaki Wagatsuma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Akihiro Iwase
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Takayuki Takasugi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Semboshi.

Additional information

Manuscript submitted August 5, 2013.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Semboshi, S., Sato, S., Ishikuro, M. et al. Investigation of Precipitation Behavior in Age-Hardenable Cu-Ti Alloys by an Extraction-Based Approach. Metall Mater Trans A 45, 3401–3411 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2293-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2293-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation