Unconventional order/disorder behaviour in Al–Co–Cu–Fe–Ni multi-principal element alloys after casting and annealing

The effect of Cu concentration on the order/disorder behaviour of the AlCoCuxFeNi (x = 0.6 to 3.0) multi-principal element alloys was investigated. BCC and/or FCC phases were observed in the microstructures of the alloys after casting and annealing at 1050 ◦C followed by slow cooling. Interesting is that the alloys form ordered structures after casting and disordered structures after annealing and slow cooling, while the opposite would be expected. The ordering in the as-cast state is explained by the strong affinity of Al to transition metals, which results in the formation of supercell structures having sublattices occupied by certain elements only. Disordering after annealing has two reasons. Either the phase is composed of nearly pure element (Cu) and is disordered by default or it is composed of randomly distributed nano-segregated regions within a single phase resulting in a uniform distribution of all elements in the sublattices and therefore appearing to be macroscopically disordered. The reason for the formation of such nano-segregated areas might reside in the reduction of Gibbs free energy due to the annealing by the interplay between enthalpy and entropy

Aqueous Corrosion of Aluminum-Transition Metal Alloys Composed of Structurally Complex Phases: A Review

Complex metallic alloys (CMAs) are materials composed of structurally complex intermetallic phases (SCIPs). The SCIPs consist of large unit cells containing hundreds or even thousands of atoms. Well-defined atomic clusters are found in their structure, typically of icosahedral point group symmetry. In SCIPs, a long-range order is observed. Aluminum-based CMAs contain approximately 70 at.% Al. In this paper, the corrosion behavior of bulk Al-based CMAs is reviewed. The Al–TM alloys (TM = transition metal) have been sorted according to their chemical composition. The alloys tend to passivate because of high Al concentration. The Al–Cr alloys, for example, can form protective passive layers of considerable thickness in different electrolytes. In halide-containing solutions, however, the alloys are prone to pitting corrosion. The electrochemical activity of aluminum-transition metal SCIPs is primarily determined by electrode potential of the alloying element(s). Galvanic microcells form between different SCIPs which may further accelerate the localized corrosion attack. The electrochemical nobility of individual SCIPs increases with increasing concentration of noble elements. The SCIPs with electrochemically active elements tend to dissolve in contact with nobler particles. The SCIPs with noble metals are prone to selective de-alloying (de–aluminification) and their electrochemical activity may change over time as a result of de-alloying. The metal composition of the SCIPs has a primary influence on their corrosion properties. The structural complexity is secondary and becomes important when phases with similar chemical composition, but different crystal structure, come into close physical contact

Properties of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints Prepared by Induction Heating

In the present work, one near-eutectic and three hypoeutectic Sn-Ag-Cu alloys have been employed for soldering by induction heating. The alloys were produced by induction melting of high purity Ag, Cu, and Sn lumps. The melting behavior of the alloys was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The solder alloys were subsequently applied for soldering by conventional hot-plate heating as well as induction heating and both soldering times and peak temperatures were recorded during soldering. Solder joints of two copper sheets were produced. The electrical resistance, tensile strength, and microstructure were analyzed on each soldered joint. The results indicate that the physical and mechanical properties of solder joints are determined by their chemical composition and soldering technology. Induction soldered joints not only have a slightly higher electrical resistivity but also higher mechanical strength, except of the 0.3 wt.% Ag hypoeutectic solder. The highest increase in ultimate tensile strength (28%) was observed for induction soldered joints with 1 wt.% Ag hypoeutectic solder. This effect is ascribed to the homogenous distribution of the intermetallic compounds within the eutectic in the alloy microstructure. The homogenous distribution is aided by rotation of liquid solder due to eddy currents and high-frequency magnetic field generated during induction heating