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Study of the Q′ (Q)-phase precipitation in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys by quantification of atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and atom probe tomography

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Abstract

The precipitation mechanism of the Q phase in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys has long been the subject of ambiguity and debate since its metastable phase (Q′) has the same crystal structure and similar lattice parameters as its equilibrium counterparts. In the present work, the evolution of the Q′ (Q) phase during aging is studied by combination of quantitative atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. It was found that the transformation from the Q′ to the Q phase involves changes of the occupancy of Al atoms in atomic columns of the Q′ (Q) phase. The Al atoms incorporated in the Cu, Si and Mg columns are gradually released into the Al matrix, while mixing between Cu and Si atoms occurs in the Si columns. This transformation process is mainly attributed to the low lattice misfit of the equilibrium Q phase. Besides, the formation of various compositions of the Q phase is due to the different occupancy in the atomic columns of the Q phase. The occupancy changes in the columns of the Q phase are kinetically controlled and are strongly influenced by the alloy composition and aging temperature.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Special major R & D Projects for Key Technology Innovation of Key Industries in Chongqing (Grant No. cstc2017zdcy-zdzxX0006), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. 2018CDGFCL0002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51871035) and the Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51421001). H. Idrissi is mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FSR-FNRS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Joint Laboratory for Light Alloys (Ministry of Education), College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Lipeng Ding, Yaoyao Weng, Zhihong Jia, Longlong Hao & Qing Liu

  2. Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, IMAP, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Lipeng Ding & Hosni Idrissi

  3. Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    Lipeng Ding, Andrey Orekhov, Hosni Idrissi & Dominique Schryvers

  4. Electron Microscopy Center of Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Zhihong Jia, Longlong Hao & Qing Liu

  5. Department of Metallurgy and Ceramics Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan

    Yaoyao Weng & Shiji Muraishi

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  1. Lipeng Ding
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  2. Andrey Orekhov
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  8. Longlong Hao
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  9. Qing Liu
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Correspondence to Zhihong Jia.

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Ding, L., Orekhov, A., Weng, Y. et al. Study of the Q′ (Q)-phase precipitation in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys by quantification of atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and atom probe tomography. J Mater Sci 54, 7943–7952 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03427-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03427-6

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