Abstract
Two conventionally solidified Al-0.2Ti alloys (with 0.18 and 0.22 at. pct Ti) exhibit no hardening after aging up to 3200 hours at 375 °C or 425 °C. This is due to the absence of Al3Ti precipitation, as confirmed by electron microscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. By contrast, an Al-0.2Zr alloy (with 0.19 at. pct Zr) displays strong age hardening at both temperatures due to precipitation of Al3Zr (L12) within Zr-enriched dendritic regions. This discrepancy between the two alloys is explained within the context of the equilibrium phase diagrams: (1) the disparity in solid and liquid solubilities of Ti in α-Al is much greater than that of Zr in α-Al; and (2) the relatively small liquid solubility of Ti in α-Al limits the amount of solute retained in solid solution during solidification, while the comparatively high solid solubility reduces the supersaturation effecting precipitation during post-solidification aging. The lattice parameter mismatch of Al3Ti (L12) with α-Al is also larger than that of Al3Zr (L12), further hindering nucleation of Al3Ti. Classical nucleation theory indicates that the minimum solute supersaturation required to overcome the elastic strain energy of Al3Ti nuclei cannot be obtained during conventional solidification of Al-Ti alloys (unlike for Al-Zr alloys), thus explaining the absence of Al3Ti precipitation and the presence of Al3Zr precipitation.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
TenuPol is a trademark of Struers A/S, Ballerup, Denmark.
PHILIPS is a trademark of Philips Electronic Instruments Corp., Mahwah, NJ.
LEO is a trademark of Zeiss-Leica, Cambridge, England.
References
K.E. Knipling, D.C. Dunand, D.N. Seidman: Z. Metallkd., 2006, vol. 97, pp. 246–65
H. Jones, W.M. Rainforth: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2003, vol. 34A, pp. 419–21
J.F. Nie, S. Sridhara, B.C. Muddle: Metall. Trans. A, 1992, vol. 23A, pp. 3193–205
J.F. Nie, A. Majumdar, B.C. Muddle: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1994, vol. 179, pp. 619–24
J.F. Nie, B.C. Muddle: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1996, vol. 215, pp. 92–103
W.E. Frazier, M.J. Koczak: in High Strength Powder Metallurgy Aluminum Alloys II, G.J. Hildeman, M.J. Koczak, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1986, pp. 353–66
J.M. Wu, S.L. Zheng, Z.Z. Li: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2000, vol. 289, pp. 246–54
Y. Wang, Z. Zhang, W. Wang, X. Bian: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2004, vol. 366, pp. 17–24
G.X. Liang, Z.C. Li, E. Wang: J. Mater. Sci., 1996, vol. 31, pp. 901–04
W.E. Frazier, M.J. Koczak: Scripta Metall., 1987, vol. 21, pp. 129–34
G.S. Murty, M.J. Koczak, W.E. Frazier: Scripta Metall., 1987, vol. 21, pp. 141–46
J.A. Hawk, P.K. Mirchandani, R.C. Benn, H.G.F. Wilsdorf: in Dispersion Strengthened Aluminum Alloys, Y.W. Kim, W.M. Griffith, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1988, pp. 551–72
J.A. Hawk, K.R. Lawless, H.G.F. Wilsdorf: Scripta Metall., 1989, vol. 23, pp. 119–24
J.A. Hawk, J.K. Briggs, H.G.F. Wilsdorf: in Advances in Powder Metallurgy, T.G. Gasbarre, W.F. Jandeska, eds., MPIF, Princeton, NJ, 1989, pp. 285–99
P.K. Mirchandani, R.C. Benn, K.A. Heck: in Lightweight Alloys for Aerospace Applications, E.W. Lee, E.H. Chia, N.J. Kim, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1989, pp. 33–58
P.K. Mirchandani, D.O. Gothard, A.I. Kemppinen: in Advances in Powder Metallurgy, T.G. Gasbarre, W.F. Jandeska, eds., MPIF, Princeton, NJ, 1989, pp. 161–73
S.H. Wang, P.W. Kao: Acta Mater., 1998, vol. 46, pp. 2675–82
I.C. Barlow, H. Jones, W.M. Rainforth: Acta Mater., 2001, vol. 49, pp. 1209–24
T. Ohashi, R. Ichikawa: Z. Metallkd., 1973, vol. 64, pp. 517–21
F.A. Crossley, L.F. Mondolfo: Trans. AIME, 1951, vol. 191, pp. 1143–48
D.G. McCartney: Int. Mater. Rev., 1989, vol. 34, pp. 247–60
B.S. Murty, S.A. Kori, M. Chakraborty: Int. Mater. Rev., 2002, vol. 47, pp. 3–29
W. Dahl, W. Gruhl, W.G. Burchard, G. Ibe, C. Dumitrescu: Z. Metallkd., 1977, vol. 68, pp. 121–27
S. Hori, S. Saji, A. Takehara: Proc. 4th Int. Conf. on Rapidly Quenched Metals, T. Masumoto, K. Suzuki, eds., The Japan Institute of Metals, Sendai, Japan, 1981, pp. 1545–48
S. Hori, N. Furushiro: Proc. 4th Int. Conf. on Rapidly Quenched Metals, T. Masumoto, K. Suzuki, eds., The Japan Institute of Metals, Sendai, Japan, 1981, pp. 1525–28
S. Hori, N. Furushiro, W. Fujitani: J. Jpn. Inst. Light Met., 1980, vol. 30, pp. 617–25
A.F. Norman, P. Tsakiropoulos: Int. J. Rapid Solid., 1991, vol. 6, pp. 185–213
W.L. Fink, K.R. van Horn, P.M. Budge: AIMME Trans., 1931, vol. 93, pp. 421–39
H.A.F. El-Halfawy, E.S.K. Menon, M. Sundararaman, P. Mukhopadhyay: Metallography, 1979, vol. 12, pp. 257–62
H.A.F. El-Halfawy: Titanium ‘80–Science and Technology–4th Int. Conf. on Titanium, H. Kimura, O. Izumi, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1980, pp. 1379–87
D.H. St John, L.M. Hogan: J. Mater. Sci., 1980, vol. 15, pp. 2369–75
K. Venkateswarlu, S.K. Das, M. Chakraborty, B.S. Murty: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2003, vol. 351, pp. 237–43
N.F. Levoy, J.B. Vander Sande: Metall. Trans. A, 1989, vol. 20A, pp. 999–1019
P. Malek, M. Janecek, B. Smola: Kov. Mater., 2000, vol. 38, pp. 160–77
K.E. Knipling, D.C. Dunand, and D.N. Seidman: unpublished research, 2007
H.W. Kerr, J. Cisse, G.F. Bolling: Acta Metall., 1974, vol. 22, pp. 677–86
H.W. Kerr, W. Kurz: Int. Mater. Rev., 1996, vol. 41, pp. 129–64
D.H. St. John, L.M. Hogan: J. Mater. Sci., 1982, vol. 17, pp. 2413–18
J.F. Nie, B.C. Muddle: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1996, vol. 221, pp. 11–21
B.S. You, W.W. Park: Scripta Mater., 1996, vol. 34, pp. 201–05
T. Ohashi, R. Ichikawa: J. Jpn. Inst. Met., 1970, vol. 34, pp. 604–10
V. Dobatkin, V.I. Elagin, V.M. Federov, and R.M. Sizova: Russ. Metall., 1970, pp. 122–27
W.W. Park, T.H. Kim: J. Kor. Inst. Met., 1985, vol. 3, pp. 11–18
W.W. Park, T.H. Kim: Scripta Metall., 1988, vol. 22, pp. 1709–14
R. Ichikawa, T. Ohashi: J. Jpn. Inst. Light Met., 1968, vol. 18, pp. 314–19
T. Sato, A. Kamio, G.W. Lorimer: Mater. Sci. Forum, 1996, vols. 217–222, pp. 895–900
H. Okamoto: Phase Diagrams of Dilute Binary Alloys, ASM INTERNATIONAL, Materials Park, OH, 2002
E. Babic, E. Girt, R. Krsnik, B. Leontic, M. Ocko, Z. Vucic, I. Zoric: Physica Status Solidi A, 1973, vol. 16, pp. K21–K25
E. Sahin, H. Jones: in Rapidly Quenched Metals II, B. Cantor, ed., The Metals Society, London, 1978, pp. 138–46
J. Cisse, H.W. Kerr, G.F. Bolling: Metall. Trans., 1974, vol. 5, pp. 633–41
T. Ohashi, R. Ichikawa: J. Jpn. Inst. Light Met., 1977, vol. 27, pp. 105–12
O.A. Setiukov, I.N. Fridlyander: Mater. Sci. Forum, 1996, vols. 217–222, pp. 195–200
N. Ryum: J. Mater. Sci., 1975, vol. 10, pp. 2075–81
M.F. Ashby, L.M. Brown: Phil. Mag., 1963, vol. 8, pp. 1083–1102
V.L. Nordheim: Ann. Phys., 1931, vol. 9, pp. 641–78
J. Royset, N. Ryum: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2005, vol. 396, pp. 409–22
M.E. van Dalen, D.C. Dunand, D.N. Seidman: Acta Mater., 2005, vol. 53, pp. 4225–35
K.E. Knipling, D.C. Dunand, and D.N. Seidman: Microsc. Microanal., 2006, accepted for publication
J.L. Murray: Alcoa, Alcoa Center, PA, personal communication, 2005
J.L. Murray, A. Peruzzi, J.P. Abriata: J. Phase Equil., 1992, vol. 13, pp. 277–91
J.Z. Liu:, Ph.D. Thesis, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2006
J.Z. Liu, G. Ghosh, A. van de Walle, and M. Asta: Phys. Rev. B, 2007, vol. 75, p. 104117
G.W. Lorimer, R.B. Nicholson: Mechanism of Phase Transformations in Crystalline Solids, Session II, Institute of Metals, London, 1969, pp. 36–42
K.C. Russell: in Phase Transformations, H.I. Aaronson, ed., ASM, Metals Park, OH, 1970, pp. 219–68
R.D. Doherty: in Physical Metallurgy, R.W. Cahn, P. Haasen, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1983, pp. 933–1030
H.I. Aaronson, F.K. LeGoues: Metall. Trans. A, 1992, vol. 23A, pp. 1915–45
R. Wagner, R. Kampmann, P.W. Voorhees: in Phase Transformations in Materials, G. Kostorz, ed., Wiley-VCH, New York, NY, 2001, pp. 309–407
B. Chalmers: Principles of Solidification, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 1964, pp. 126–28
M.C. Flemings: Solidification Processing, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1974, pp. 31–32
W. Kurz, D.J. Fisher: Fundamentals of Solidification, 4th ed., Trans Tech Publications, Aedermannsdorf, Switzerland, 1998. p. 15
H.J. Frost, M.F. Ashby: Deformation-Mechanism Maps: The Plasticity and Creep of Metals and Ceramics, Pergamon Press, New York, NY, 1982, p. 21
M.A. Meyers, K.K. Chawla: Mechanical Metallurgy: Principles and Applications, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1984, p. 58
Y. Harada, D.C. Dunand: Scripta Mater., 2003, vol. 48, pp. 219–22
J. Royset, N. Ryum: Scripta Mater., 2005, vol. 52, pp. 1275–79
S. Hori, H. Tai, Y. Narita: J. Jpn. Inst. Light Met., 1982, vol. 32, pp. 596–603
S. Hori, H. Tai, Y. Narita: in Rapidly Quenched Metals, S. Steeb, H. Warlimont, eds., Elsevier Science Publishers, Wurzburg, 1985, pp. 911–14
K. Asboll, N. Ryum: J. Inst. Met., 1973, vol. 101, pp. 212–14
S.K. Pandey, C. Suryanarayana: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1989, vol. 111, pp. 181–87
T. Ohashi, K. Suzuki, R. Ichikawa: Bull. Nagoya Inst. Technol., 1971, vol. 23, pp. 459–65
A. Majumdar, R.H. Mair, B.C. Muddle: in Science and Technology of Rapidly Quenched Alloys, M. Tenhover, W.L. Johnson, L.E. Tanner, eds., MRS, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987, pp. 253–60
J.F. Nie, B.C. Muddle: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1996, vol. 221, pp. 22–32
N. Ryum: Acta Metall., 1969, vol. 17, pp. 269–78
M. Sundberg, R. Sundberg, B. Jacobson: Jernkont. Ann., 1971, vol. 155, pp. 1–15
S. Rystad, N. Ryum: Aluminium, 1977, vol. 53, pp. 193–95
H. Westengen, L. Auran, O. Reiso: Aluminium, 1981, vol. 57, pp. 797–803
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the United States Department of Energy, Basic Sciences Division, under Contract No. DE-FG02-02ER45997. Gratitude is expressed to KB Alloys for providing the Al-Zr master alloy. We are indebted to Dr. J.L. Murray (Alcoa), for providing the most recent and reliable data for the binary Al-Ti and Al-Zr phase diagrams. We also thank Dr. J.Z. Liu and Professor M. Asta (Northwestern University and University of California, Davis), for calculating the metastable L12 solvus curves for Al3Ti and Al3Zr, and Professor M.E. Fine (Northwestern University) for useful discussions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Manuscript submitted December 15, 2006.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Knipling, K., Dunand, D. & Seidman, D. Nucleation and Precipitation Strengthening in Dilute Al-Ti and Al-Zr Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 38, 2552–2563 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-007-9283-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-007-9283-6