Open Collections

The effect of misfit on morphology and kinetics of plate shaped precipitates

University of British Columbia

Lattice misfit and its effect on the morphology, interfacial structure and kinetics of plate shaped precipitates are investigated in this study. The 7-Ag₂Al phase in the Al-Ag system was used as the reference system and its misfit was controlled by ternary additions of Mg and Cu. The addition of 0.S1 at% Mg was found to increase the misfit from 0.8% for the binary to 1.11%. Cu additions on the other hand, reduced the misfit by 0.38% for Cu concentrations up to 0.51 at%. Electron probe microanalysis showed that the Mg atoms preferentially partition to the 7 phase whereas Cu atoms partition equally between the precipitate and matrix phases. Direct transmission election rnicroscope observations were made on the interface structure in both the equilibrated state and during precipitate dissolution. The interface structure in the ternary Mg alloy consisted of a hexagonal network of partial dislocations which essentially remained the same before and during dissolution. A single array of a/2<110> dislocations was observed in the binary and ternary Cu systems prior to dissolution. This unit array transformed to a stable hexagonal network structure having the equilibrium spacing at the onset of dissolution and remained throughout the period of dissolution. The thinning and shortening kinetics of the precipitate plates were at least five times slower than the rates for volume diffusion control in all three systems. This interfacial inhibition has further been confirmed by the consistent fall below equilibrium values of the interface concentration as determined from electron probe microanalysis. This suggests the operation of a ledge migration mechanism. A mechanism of acquiring ledge/dislocations at the interface is used as a basis to correlate the observed kinetics with misfit and ledge migration at the precipitate-matrix interphase. The mechanism involves co-ordinated motion of sets of dislocations in the network which rids the surface of the highest steps thereby accomplishing dissolution.

Text

2010-10-19

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/29380

Materials Engineering

University of British Columbia

Graduate