Metastable phases in the Al sub 3 X (X = Ti, Zr, and Hf) intermetallic system
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Materials Science and Technology Div.
There is considerable interest in ordered intermetallics based on aluminum, such as Al{sub 3}Ti, Al{sub 3}Zr, and Al{sub 3}Hf, which have high melting points and low densities. These are being investigated to be used as single- phase high-temperature structural materials and as precipitation strengtheners in two-phase aluminum alloys. The latter alloys have the potential for developing low-density alloys useful to 75% of the absolute melting point of aluminum. In precipitation-strengthened Al-Cu alloys, coarsening of the CuAl{sub 2} precipitates due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to a drastic drop in strength. Thermodynamic and kinetic factors suggest that Al{sub 3}X (X = Ti, Zr, Hf) precipitates should have a lesser tendency to coarsen than CuAl{sub 2} for two reasons. First, Al{sub 3}X precipitates closely match aluminum in structure and lattice parameters (to a few percent), and the expected decrease in the matrix/precipitate interfacial energy should reduce the driving force for precipitate coarsening. Second, in contrast to copper, transition metals (TM) such as Ti and Zr have much lower chemical diffusivities in Al; thus these precipitates should be more stable. We have also used mechanical alloying (MA), a high-energy ball-milling technique, to prepare powders of Al{sub 3}Ti, Al{sub 3}Zr, and Al{sub 3}Hf. The MA synthesis route has various advantages over conventional casting. The as-mechanically- alloyed powders are highly homogeneous in composition and are in a state of high chemical and structural internal energy, which may result in the formation of extended solid solutions or metastable phases (crystalline or amorphous). Crystalline mechanically alloyed powders usually have extremely small grain sizes. In this paper, the authors report the synthesis of Al{sub 3}X alloys by MA, formation of metastable phases, the thermal stability of these phases, and their lattice parameters.
- OSTI ID:
- 5879598
- Journal Information:
- Scripta Metallurgica; (United States), Journal Name: Scripta Metallurgica; (United States) Vol. 25:11; ISSN 0036-9748; ISSN SCRMB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
360102 -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
360104 -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
AMORPHOUS STATE
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DISPERSIONS
GRAIN SIZE
HAFNIUM ALLOYS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LATTICE PARAMETERS
MACHINING
MECHANICS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MILLING
MIXTURES
PHASE STUDIES
POWDERS
SIZE
SOLID SOLUTIONS
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
SYNTHESIS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TITANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS