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Trace element effects on precipitation processes and mechanical properties in an Al-Cu-Li alloy

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Abstract

A study has been made of how impurities (Na and K) and trace additions of indium, magnesium, and silicon affect the microstructure and related mechanical properties of an Al-Cu-Li alloy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to determine the size and distribution of particles in four alloys. Indium and magnesium are both seen to stimulate T 1 precipitation. Indium also modifies ϑ″ morphology, and magnesium greatly increases the number density of ϑ″ precipitates. Strain localization was observed in underaged Al-Cu-Li-In tensile samples, consistent with observed changes in precipitate structure. No superposition of the effects of indium and magnesium was seen. High-resolution analytical microscopy was used to inspect precipitates for segregation of trace elements during early stages of aging, but no segregation was found within the detection limits of the system. Variations in heat treatment were made in order to study nucleation kinetics and trace element interactions with vacancies. Indium, with a binding energy less than that of lithium, was not seen to interact with quenched-in vacancies, while magnesium, with a binding energy greater than that of lithium, had a strong interaction. Yield anisotropies and fracture toughnesses were measured. Removal of trace impurities of sodium and potassium correlated with improved fracture properties. Magnesium was observed to increase anisotropy, especially in the T8 temper. A model was used to explain the anisotropy data in terms of texture and precipitate distribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Materials, Oxford Centre for Advanced Materials and Composites, Oxford University, OX1 3PH, Oxford, United Kingdom

    D. L. Gilmore (Research Fellow)

  2. the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 22903, Charlottesville, VA

    E. A. Starke Jr. (University Professor)

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  1. D. L. Gilmore
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  2. E. A. Starke Jr.
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Gilmore, D.L., Starke, E.A. Trace element effects on precipitation processes and mechanical properties in an Al-Cu-Li alloy. Metall Mater Trans A 28, 1399–1415 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-997-0203-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-997-0203-6

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