Characterising precipitate evolution in multi-component cast aluminium alloys using small-angle X-ray scattering

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.01.293

Authors: Panagiotis Panagos (University of Manchester; Research Complex at Harwell) , Y. Wang (University of Manchester; Research Complex at Harwell) , D. G. Mccartney (Research Complex at Harwell; University of Nottingham) , M. Li (Ford Motor Company) , B. Ghaffari (Ford Motor Company) , J. W. Zindel (Ford Motor Company) , J. Miao (University of Michigan) , S. Makineni (University of Michigan) , J. E. Allison (University of Michigan) , O. Shebanova (Diamond Light Source) , J. D. Robson (The University of Manchester) , Peter D. Lee (University of Manchester)
Co-authored by industrial partner: Yes

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Journal Of Alloys And Compounds

State: Published (Approved)
Published: January 2017
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 13238

Abstract: Aluminium alloys can be strengthened significantly by nano-scale precipitates that restrict dislocation movement. In this study, the evolution of inhomogenously distributed trialuminide precipitates in two multi-component alloys was characterised by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The appropriate selection of reference sample and data treatment required to successfully characterise a low volume fraction of precipitates in multi-component alloys via SAXS was investigated. The resulting SAXS study allowed the analysis of statistically significant numbers of precipitates (billions) as compared to electron microscopy (hundreds). Two cast aluminium alloys with different volume fractions of Al3ZrxV1-x precipitates were studied. Data analysis was conducted using direct evaluation methods on SAXS spectra and the results compared with those from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Precipitates were found to attain a spherical structure with homogeneous chemical composition. Precipitate evolution was quantified, including size, size distribution, volume fraction and number density. The results provide evidence that these multi-component alloys have a short nucleation stage, with coarsening dominating precipitate size. The coarsening rate constant was calculated and compared to similar precipitate behaviour.

Journal Keywords: SAXS; Cast aluminium alloys; Precipitation; Quantitative analysis; TEM; Trialuminide

Diamond Keywords: Alloys

Subject Areas: Materials, Engineering


Instruments: I22-Small angle scattering & Diffraction

Added On: 31/01/2017 09:59

Discipline Tags:

Automotive Materials Engineering & Processes Materials Science Engineering & Technology Metallurgy

Technical Tags:

Scattering Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)