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Effect of Sn Addition in Preprecipitation Stage in Al-Cu Alloys: A Correlative Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography Study

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Abstract

The effect of a trace addition of Sn (0.01 at. pct) in Al-1.7Cu (at. pct) alloy in the preprecipitation stage has been investigated by atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). APT demonstrates that Sn clusters form independently of Cu in the as-quenched (AQ) state in Al-1.7Cu-0.01Sn alloy. The Sn clusters lead to the rapid nucleation of β-Sn precipitates during increased temperature aging. The APT analysis also indicates that Cu tends to cluster with Sn when the increased temperature aging commences. The TEM experiments revealed that GP zones formed during the first 30 seconds of aging at 473 K (200 °C) in both alloys. These GP zones were unstable and underwent a reversion reaction such that they were not detected after 180 seconds of aging. This process is thought to arise from heating rate effects and, at these higher temperatures, supplies a flux of Cu atoms that results in the heterogeneous nucleation of the θ′ (Al2Cu) phase.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the facilities as well as the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis at the University of Sydney. In particular, we thank Timothy Petersen, Ross Marceau, Baptiste Gault, Alexandre La Fontaine, Leigh Stephenson, and Anna Ceguerra for fruitful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Key Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Tomoyuki Homma (Assistant Professor), Michael P. Moody (Lecturer), David W. Saxey (Research Associate Professor) & Simon P. Ringer (Director and Professor)

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, 940-2188, Japan

    Tomoyuki Homma (Assistant Professor)

  3. School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    David W. Saxey (Research Associate Professor)

  4. Department of Materials, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Michael P. Moody (Lecturer)

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  1. Tomoyuki Homma
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Correspondence to Tomoyuki Homma.

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Manuscript submitted August 18, 2011.

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Homma, T., Moody, M.P., Saxey, D.W. et al. Effect of Sn Addition in Preprecipitation Stage in Al-Cu Alloys: A Correlative Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography Study. Metall Mater Trans A 43, 2192–2202 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-012-1111-y

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