View Item 

Effect of Sn addition in preprecipitation stage in Al-Cu alloys: A correlative transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography study

Access Status
Fulltext not available
Authors
Date
2012
Type
Journal Article

Metadata
Show full item record
Citation
Homma, T. and Moody, M. and Saxey, D. and Ringer, S. 2012. Effect of Sn addition in preprecipitation stage in Al-Cu alloys: A correlative transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography study. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science. 43 (7): pp. 2192-2202.
Source Title
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science
DOI
ISSN
School
John de Laeter CoE in Mass Spectrometry
URI
Collection
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.