On the decomposition of the transition rhombohedral phase in the Al-30 wt.% Zn alloy

Abstract

The decomposition of the transition rhombohedral α′_R-phase at the temperatures between 85 and 250 °C was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction on single crystals. Below 161 °C the direct decomposition of α′_R-phase into the equilibrium hexagonal β-phase without the formation of the transition cubic α′-phase was found. Both transformation sequences α′_R → β and α/′_R→α′ → β were observed in the temperature range from 161 to 180 °C whereas only the previously known sequence α′_R → α′ → β was detected on ageing the alloy between 180 and 250 °C. The precipitation process at the temperatures from 161 to 180 °C is characterized by the decomposition of α′_R-phase into the equilibrium β-phase prior to the formation of the transition α′-phase and by the increased rate of decomposition of α′-precipitate.

The observed transformation processes are related to the variation of strains at the partially coherent interface between α′_R-phase and α-matrix with the temperature in correlation with the metastable α′_R-phase boundary. These considerations allowed to estimate the relative stabilities of precipitated phases and their activation energies of formation and thus to discuss the decomposition mechanism of α′_R-phase at various temperatures.