Classification of the role of microalloying elements in phase decomposition of Al based alloys

Journal Article · Thu May 11 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Acta Materialia

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6454(99)00475-9· OSTI ID:20075935

Hirosawa, S; Sato, T; Kamio, A; Flower, H M

The fundamental role of microalloying elements in several aluminum alloys such as Al-Cu, Al-Li-Cu and Al-Cu-Mg has been investigated using a Monte Carlo computer simulation. All the utilized simulation parameters, e.g., pair interactions between same atoms species, between different atom species and between an atom and a vacancy, were derived from known thermodynamic or kinetic quantities. A small addition of Mg to Al-Cu alloys exhibits a strong tendency to form Mg/Cu/Vacancy complexes in the atom configurations, which is more remarkably revealed in Al-Li-Cu alloys. The combined addition of Ag or Si with Mg significantly increases the number of Mg/Cu/Vacancy complexes in Al-Cu-Mg alloys. From the comparison with experimentally reported results, these complexes are reasonably regarded as an effective heterogeneous nucleation site for BP zones, GPB zones and/or the {Omega} phase. The utilized simulation model, furthermore, permits the role of microalloying elements to be well classified in terms of the characteristic features of each element.

• Research Organization: Imperial Coll. of Science, Technology and Medicine, London (GB)
• OSTI ID: 20075935
• Journal Information: Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 48; ISSN 1359-6454; ISSN ACMAFD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM BASE ALLOYS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MICROSTRUCTURE
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NUCLEATION
PHASE STUDIES