Abstract
Eutectic alloys are considered promising candidates for high-temperature structural applications. In spite of this, quantitative examination of the effect of the length scale of the eutectic microstructure on mechanical properties remains a challenge. In this sense, assessments of morphology, size and distribution of the phases forming the eutectic mixture, solidified under transient regime and different cooling conditions, endure necessary. In the present study, a large spectrum of cooling rates has been obtained during unsteady-state directional solidification of an Al–33 mass% Cu alloy. The main techniques utilized were: optical microscopy; scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Vickers hardness (HV). The resulting microstructures related to various solidification cooling rates are shown to be formed by eutectic colonies. Three microstructural zones constitute the colony, that is, a fine central regular lamellar Al–Al2Cu eutectic, an intermediate narrow wavy lamellar eutectic and a coarse boundary eutectic zone. Iron impurity appears to be able to degenerate the eutectic into a more randomly distributed microstructure. The colonies’ morphology exhibits a transition from regular to platelike cells with the increase in cooling rate. Furthermore, the evolution of hardness as a function of the colony spacings is outlined. The highest hardness of 200 HV is related to an ultrafine bimodal structure formed by platelike eutectic colonies with 13 µm in spacing with very fine lamellae of 330 nm in spacing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Stefanescu DM, Abbaschian GJ, Bayuzick RJ. Solidification processing of eutectic alloys. Warrendale: Metallurgical Society; 1988. ISBN 0873390334.
Campbell J. Castings. 2nd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann; 2003.
Silva BL, Garcia A, Spinelli JE. Complex eutectic growth and Bi precipitation in ternary Sn–Bi–Cu and Sn–Bi–Ag alloys. J Alloys Compd. 2017;691:600–5.
Elliot R. Eutectic solidification. Int Met Rev. 1997;22:161–86.
Tiller WA. Liquid metals and solidification. Cleveland: ASM; 1958.
Reyes RV, Bello TS, Kakitani R, Costa TA, Garcia A, Cheung N, Spinelli JE. Tensile properties and related microstructures aspects of hypereutectic Al–Si alloys directionally solidified under different melt superheats and transient heat flow conditions. Mater Sci Eng A. 2017;685:235–43.
Kaya H, Çadırlı E, Gündüz M, Ulgen A. Effect of the temperature gradient, growth rate, and the interflake spacing on the microhardness in the directionally solidified Al–Si eutectic alloy. J Mater Eng Perform. 2003;12:544–51.
Hosch T, England LG, Napolitano RE. Analysis of the high growth-rate transition in Al–Si eutectic solidification. J Mater Sci. 2009;44:4892–9.
Kakitani R, Reyes RV, Spinelli JE, Cheung N, Garcia A. Relationship between spacing of eutectic colonies and tensile properties of transient directionally solidified Al–Ni eutectic alloy. J Alloys Compd. 2018;733:59–68.
Jackson KA, Hunt JD. Lamellar and rod eutectic growth. Trans Metall Soc AIME. 1966;236:1129–42.
Çadirli E, Ülgen A, Gündüz M. Directional solidification of the aluminium–copper eutectic alloy. Mater Trans JIM. 1999;40:989–96.
Ourdjini A, Liu J, Elliott R. Eutectic spacing selection in Al–Cu system. Mater Sci Technol. 1994;10:312–8.
Zimmermann M, Carrard M, Kurz W. Rapid solidification of Al–Cu eutectic alloy by laser remelting. Acta Metall. 1989;37:3305–13.
Stoichev NV, Yaneva SB, Regel LL, Videnskiy IV. Eutectic solidification of Al–Cu alloys influenced by convection. Adv Space Res. 1988;8:171–4.
Seetharaman V, Trivedi R. Eutectic growth: selection of interlamellar spacings. MTA. 1988;19:2955–64.
Zimmermann M, Carrard M, Gremaud M, Kurz W. Characterization of the banded structure in rapidly solidified Al–Cu alloys. Mater Sci Eng A. 1991;134:1278–82.
Yaneva S, Budurov S, Stoichev N, Chnistova S, Jonchev S. Eutectic crystallization of aluminium copper alloys (II). Influence of impurity elements. Kris Tech. 1975;10:395–400.
Zimmermann M, Karma A, Carrard M. Oscillatory lamellar microstructure in off-eutectic Al–Cu alloys. Phys Rev B. 1990;42:833–7.
Sahoo S, Ghosh S. Heat transfer, solidification, and microstructural evolution in Al–33Cu alloy during the starting of twin roll strip casting. Steel Res Int. 2014;85:207–18.
Tiwary CS, Mahapatra DR, Chattopadhyay K. Effect of length scale on mechanical properties of Al–Cu eutectic alloy. Appl Phys Lett. 2012;101:171901.
He G, Eckert J, Loser W, Schultz L. Novel Ti-base nanostructure-dendrite composite with enhanced plasticity. Nat Mater. 2003;2:33–7.
Park JM, Kim KB, Kim DH, Mattern N, Li R, Liu G, Eckert J. Multi-phase Al-based ultrafine composite with multi-scale microstructure. Intermetallics. 2010;18:1829–33.
Singh RK, Chattopadhyay K, Lele S, Anantharaman TR. Impact of substrate temperature on rapid solidification of an Al–Cu eutectic alloy. J Mater Sci. 1982;17:1617–22.
Bertorello HR, Biloni H. Structure and heat treatment influence on the tensile properties of Al–Al2Cu eutectic composites. Metall Trans A. 1972;3:73–82.
Meyers MA, Mishra A, Benson DJ. Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline materials. Prog Mater Sci. 2006;51:427–556.
Kashyap S, Tiwary CS, Chattopadhyay K. Effect of gallium on microstructure and mechanical properties of Nb–Si eutectic alloy. Intermetallics. 2011;19:1943–52.
Gunduz M, Çadirli E. Directional solidification of aluminium–copper alloys. Mater Sci Eng A. 2002;327:167–85.
Çadirli E, Büyük U, Engin S, Kaya H. Effect of silicon content on microstructure, mechanical and electrical properties of the directionally solidified Al-based quaternary alloys. J Alloys Compd. 2017;694:471–9.
Mondolfo LF. Aluminum alloys: structure and properties. London: Butterworth; 1976.
Mertinger V, Szabo G, Barczy P, Kovacs A, Czel G. Gravity influenced convection in Al–Ni melt. Mater Sci Forum. 1996;215(216):331–6.
Juarez-Hernandez A, Jones H. Growth temperature measurements and solidification microstructure selection of primary Al3Ni and eutectic in the αAl–Al3Ni system. Scr Mater. 1998;38:729–34.
Moura ITL, Silva CLM, Cheung N, Goulart PR, Garcia A, Spinelli JE. Cellular to dendritic transition during transient solidification of a eutectic Sn 07 wt% Cu solder alloy. Mater Chem Phys. 2012;132:203–9.
Zhao S, Li J, Liu L, Zhou Y. Eutectic growth from cellular to dendritic form in the undercooled Ag–Cu eutectic alloy melt. J Cryst Growth. 2009;311:1387–91.
Walder S, Rayder PL. Critical solidification behavior of undercooled Ag–Cu alloys. J Appl Phys. 1993;74:6100–6.
Drevet B, Camel D, Dupuy M, Favier JJ. Microstructure of the Sn–Cu6Sn5 fibrous eutectic and its modification by segregation. Acta Mater. 1996;44:4071–84.
Ventura T, Terzi S, Rappaz M, Dahle AK. Effects of solidification kinetics on microstructure formation in binary Sn–Cu solder alloys. Acta Mater. 2011;59:1651–8.
Han SH. Stability of a eutectic interface during directional solidification. PhD thesis, Iowa State University; 1995.
Tewari N, Raj SV, Locci IE. A Comparison between growth morphology of eutectic cells/dendrites and single-phase cells/dendrites. Metall Mater Trans A. 2004;35:1632–5.
Kurz W, Fisher DJ. Fundamentals of solidification. 3rd ed. Zurich: Trans Tech Publications; 1989.
Xu W, Feng YP, Li Y, Li ZY. Cellular growth of Zn-rich Zn–Ag alloys processed by rapid solidification. Mater Sci Eng A. 2004;373:139–45.
Ma D, Li Y, Ng SC, Jones H. Unidirectional solidification of Zn-rich Zn–Cu peritectic alloys—II. Microstructural length scales. Acta Mater. 2000;48:1741–51.
Vida A, Freitas ES, Brito C, Cheung N, Arenas MA, Conde A, Damborenea J, Garcia A. Thermal parameters and microstructural development in directionally solidified Zn-rich Zn-Mg alloys. Metall Mater Trans A. 2016;47:3052–64.
Rocha OFL, Siqueira CA, Garcia CA. Heat flow parameters affecting dendrite spacings during unsteady-state solidification of Sn–Pb and Al–Cu alloys. Metall Mater Trans A. 2003;34:995–1006.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation, Brazil: Grant 2017/12741-6) and CNPq - National Council for Scientific and Technological Development for their financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kakitani, R., de Gouveia, G.L., Garcia, A. et al. Thermal analysis during solidification of an Al–Cu eutectic alloy: interrelation of thermal parameters, microstructure and hardness. J Therm Anal Calorim 137, 983–996 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-018-07992-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-018-07992-x