Microstructure and properties of Cu-Ni-Si-Zr alloy after thermomechanical treatments

The effect of thermomechanical treatments on the microstructures and properties of Cu-2.1Ni-0.5Si- 0.2Zr alloy was investigated. The hot-rolled plates were solution treated at 920 ℃ for 1.5 h, quenched into water, cold rolled by 70 % reduction in thickness, and then aged at 400, 450 and 500 ℃for various times. The variation in tensile strength and electrical conductivity of the alloy was measured as a function of the aging time. The results show the peak strength value of 665 MPa for the alloy aged at 450 ℃ for 2 h. However, the electrical conductivity is observed to reach a maximum of 47 % IACS aged at 450℃for 8 h. OM, SEM, and TEM were used for microstructural inspection of the alloy. Precipitation occurs preferentially at deformation bands in the cold-rolled alloy. Properties behavior is discussed in the light of microstructural features.

Precipitation process and its effects on properties of aging Cu–Ni–Be alloy

The precipitation process of aged Cu-Ni-Be alloy was investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, trans- mission electron microscopy （TEM）, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The tensile strength, yield strength, and electronic conductivity of this alloy after aging were also studied. The precipitation sequence of the C17510 alloy aged at 525 ℃ is supersat-urated solid solution→G.P zones→ γ″-γ′→ γ. This transformation can be achieved by the accumulation of Be-atom layers. The G.P zones are composed of disk-shaped monolayers of Be atoms, which are formed on （001） matrix planes. The intermediate γ″ precipitate is nucleated in the G.P zones. The γ″ and γ′ precipitates have the same orientation relationship with matrix, e.g., （110）p｜｜（100）M,[001]p｜｜[001]M. The tensile strength of specimen shows a maximum during the aging process and then continuously decreases if the specimen is over aged. The strengthening effect of γ′ phase precipitated in aging at 525 ℃ for 4 h is calculated to be 436 MPa according to the Orowan strengthening, which is quite consistent with the experimental data.

Kinetics of discontinuous precipitation in Cu–20Ni–20Mn alloy

The morphology and growth kinetics of discontinuous precipitation （DP） in a Cu-20Ni-20Mn alloy were investigated in the tem- perature range of523-573 K by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. A lamellar mixed structure consisting of alternating larnellae of a matrix and NiMn phase was observed in DP colonies. The volume fraction of regions formed by a DP reaction was determined by quantitative metallographic measurements. The kinetics of DP was evaluated on the basis of the John- son-MehI-Avrami Kohnogorov equation, which resulted in a time exponent of approximately 1.5. We confirmed that the nucleation of the discontinuous precipitate was confined to grain edges or boundaries at an early stage of the reaction. The activation energy of DP process was determined to be approximately （72.7 ± 7.2） kJ/mol based on the Arrhenius equation; this result suggests that DP is controlled by gn-ain boundary diffusion. The hardness values exhibited good correlation with the volume fraction of DP; this correlation was attributed to the plvsence of the ordered N iMn phase.

Geochemistry of cherts from the northern Jiangxi region,South China:Implication for paleoenvironment

The extensive bedded cherts deposited during the Ediacaran-Cambrian(E-C)transition period play a crucial role in understanding the geological evolution of this period,yet the origin of these cherts remains disputed.Here,we present new geochemical data for cherts of the Piyuancun(PYC)Formation deposited during the Late Ediacaran and the Hetang(HT)Formation deposited during the Early Cambrian in northern Jiangxi region,Lower Yangtze region,South China.The PYC cherts contain a small amount of monaxons sponge spicules and radiolarian fragments,while the HT cherts lack siliceous organism evidence.Major and trace element analysis,coupled with discriminant diagrams,indicate a possible shift in redox conditions of seawater during the E-C transition in the northern Jiangxi region.The shift suggests a change from weakly-moderately restricted euxinic conditions to strongly restricted euxinic conditions.Furthermore,the location of both cherts are distant from the source area of siliceous organisms.Fossil evidence,as well as the values of Fe/Ti and Fe/(Mn+Ti),Eu anomalies,Post-Archean Australian Shale(PAAS)normalized REE+Y patterns,and various discriminant diagrams,support the conclusion that the PYC and HT cherts originated primarily from direct seawater precipitation,with the PYC cherts exhibiting weak hydrothermal evidence.Upwelling contributes to the formation of HT cherts and organic matter(OM)accumulation.Ocean acidification,triggered by OM degradation and biodegradation processes during the E-C transition period,leads to the extensive silica precipitation and preservation.These results enhance our understanding of the geological processes during the E-C transition.