Alloy systems

The otiier type of noncrystalline solid was discovered in the 1980s in certain rapidly cooled alloy systems. D Shechtman and coworkers [15] observed electron diffraction patterns with sharp spots with fivefold rotational synnnetry, a syimnetry that had been, until that time, assumed to be impossible. It is easy to show that it is impossible to fill two- or tliree-dimensional space with identical objects that have rotational symmetries of orders other than two, tliree, four or six, and it had been assumed that the long-range periodicity necessary to produce a diffraction pattern with sharp spots could only exist in materials made by the stacking of identical unit cells. The materials that produced these diffraction patterns, but clearly could not be crystals, became known as quasicrystals. 

There is hardly a metal that cannot, or has not, been joined by some welding process. From a practical standpoint, however, the range of alloy systems that may be welded is more restricted. The term weldability specifies the capacity of a metal, or combination of metals, to be welded under fabrication conditions into a suitable stmcture that provides satisfactory service. It is not a precisely defined concept, but encompasses a range of conditions, eg, base- and filler-metal combinations, type of process, procedures, surface conditions, and joint geometries of the base metals (12). A number of tests have been developed to measure weldabiHty. These tests generally are intended to determine the susceptibiHty of welds to cracking. 

EiHer metals are manufactured in many special forms for welding the commercial alloy systems described herein. The American Welding Society... 

Dentistry. Most casting alloys meet the composition and properties criteria of specification no. 5 of the American Dental Association (37) which prescribes four types of alloy systems constituted of gold—silver—copper with addition of platinum, palladium, and 2inc. Composition ranges are specified, as are mechanical properties and minimum fusion temperatures. Wrought alloys for plates also may include the same constituents. Similarly, specification no. 7 prescribes nickel and two types of alloys for dental wires with the same alloy constituents (see Dental materials). 

The first semiconductor lasers, fabricated from gallium arsenide material, were formed from a simple junction (called a homojunction because the composition of the material was the same on each side of the junction) between the type and n-ty e materials. Those devices required high electrical current density, which produced damage ia the region of the junction so that the lasers were short-Hved. To reduce this problem, a heterojunction stmcture was developed. This junction is formed by growing a number of layers of different composition epitaxially. This is shown ia Figure 12. There are a number of layers of material having different composition is this ternary alloy system, which may be denoted Al Ga his notation, x is a composition... 

In Europe, the same types of alloy systems as in the United States are employed. 

Space technology has always demanded materials that can operate at temperatures between those of superaHoys and refractory metals and that have high temperature strength during operation and room temperature ductility for fabrication. The development of dispersion-strengthened and oxide alloy systems has solved part of this problem. 

Molybdenum, an unusually versatile alloying element, imparts numerous beneficial properties to irons and steels and to some alloy systems based on cobalt, nickel, or titanium. Comprehensive summaries of uses through 1948 (24) and 1980 (25) are available. 

Quantitative aluminum deterrninations in aluminum and aluminum base alloys is rarely done. The aluminum content is generally inferred as the balance after determining alloying additions and tramp elements. When aluminum is present as an alloying component in alternative alloy systems it is commonly deterrnined by some form of spectroscopy (qv) spark source emission, x-ray fluorescence, plasma emission (both inductively coupled and d-c plasmas), or atomic absorption using a nitrous oxide acetylene flame. 

Al—Mg—Mn. The basis for the alloys used as bodies, ends, and tabs of the cans used for beer and carbonated beverages is the Al—Mg—Mn alloy system. It is also used in other appHcations that exploit the excellent weldabiUty and corrosion resistance. These alloys have the unique abiUty to be highly strain hardened yet retain a high degree of ductOity. Some of the manganese combines with the iron to form AF(Fe,Mn) or constituent... 

Titanium alloy systems have been extensively studied. A single company evaluated over 3000 compositions in eight years (Rem-Cm sponsored work at BatteUe Memorial Institute). AHoy development has been aimed at elevated-temperature aerospace appHcations, strength for stmctural appHcations, biocompatibiHty, and corrosion resistance. The original effort has been in aerospace appHcations to replace nickel- and cobalt-base alloys in the 250—600°C range. The useful strength and corrosion-resistance temperature limit is ca 550°C. 

Fig. 21. Pressure constant temperature (PCT) curves of MmNi alloy system where open symbols represent absorption and closed symbols represent desorption for A, MmNi. Mn. AIq B, MmNi. gMn. AIq 3C0Q and C, MmNi. Mn. AIq 3C0Q 3. H/M represents the ratio in the hydride of the mole...

Precipitation (Age) Hardening Alloys. Only a few copper alloys are capable of responding to precipitation or age hardening (7). Those that do have the constitutional characteristics of beiag siagle-phase (soHd solution) at elevated temperatures and are able to develop iato two or more phases at lower temperatures that are capable of resisting plastic deformation. The copper alloy systems of commercial importance are based on iadividual additions of Be, Cr, or Ni + X where X = Al, Sn, Si, and Zr. 

Brass alloys fall within the designation C205 to C280 and cover the entire soHd solution range of up to 35 wt % zinc in the Cu—Zn alloy system. 

Copper—Nickels. The copper—nickel alloy system is essentially single phase across its entire range. Alloys made from this system are easily fabricated by casting, forming, and welding. They are noted for excellent tarnishing and corrosion resistance. Commercial copper alloys extend from 5 to 40 wt % nickel. Monel is a nickel—copper alloy that is outside of this range and contains 29—53 wt % of copper. 

The effect of a second phase is demonstrated in the copper—aluminum system, where increasing aluminum concentration causes the alloy system to change to a polyphase alloy. By obtaining a fine dispersion of the phase, the yield strength is increased from 225 to 480 MPa (33,000—70,000 psi). 

A complete discussion of the corrosion behavior of alloy systems and the influence of metallurgical factors on each is available (30). Some of these factors in a few technologically important alloy systems are discussed here. 

The chemical species that can lead to EIC in each alloy system are fairly well known although the exact mechanisms of crack initiation and propagation are not thoroughly understood. The species that promote EIC in one alloy system do not necessarily promote EIC in others. A discussion of EIC and the chemical species that promote it can be found in the Hterature (34). 

Gold and gold alloys serve the needs of dentistry better than any other metals or alloy systems. Gold alloys have a broad range of working characteristics and physical properties, coupled with excellent resistance to tarnish and corrosion ki the mouth. 

Virtuallv evety alloy system has its specific environment conditions which will prodiice stress-corrosion cracking, and the time of exposure required to produce failure will vary from minutes to years. Typical examples include cracking of cold-formed brass in ammonia environments, cracking of austenitic stainless steels in the presence of chlorides, cracking of Monel in hydrofluosihcic acid, and caustic embrittlement cracking of steel in caustic solutions. 

Sufficient tensile stress. Sufficiency here is difficult to define since it depends on a number of factors such as alloy composition, concentration of corrodent, and temperature. In some cases, stresses near the jdeld strength of the metal are necessary. In other cases, the stresses can be much lower. However, for each combination of environment and alloy system, there appears to be a threshold stress below which SCC will not occur. Threshold stresses can vary from 10 to 70% of yield strength depending on the alloy and environment combination and temperature (Fig. 9.6). 

A specific corrodent. One of the unusual and interesting features of SCC is the specificity of the corrodent. A particular alloy system is susceptible to SCC only when exposed to certain corrodents, some or all of which may be unique to that particular alloy system. For example, austenitic stainless steels (300 series) are susceptible to cracking in chloride solutions but are unaffected by ammonia. Brasses, on the other hand, will crack in ammonia but remain unaffected by chlorides. The corrodent need not be present at high concentrations. Cracking has occurred at corrodent levels measured in parts per million (ppm). 

Since metals are sensitive to specific SCC agents, successful elimination of SCC problems can be effected by changing the metallurgy of the affected component to a material that will not crack in the existing environment. This method takes advantage of the specificity of the environment and alloy system relationship. However, it is important to identify the specific corrodent responsible for cracking since some corrodents affect more than one alloy system. 

At any plane in a Raoultian alloy system parallel to die original interface, the so-called chemical diffusion coefficient Dchem. which determines the flux of atoms at any given point, and is usually a function of the local composition so that according to Darken (1948), Dchem is given by... 

An experimental technique for die determination of Dchem in a binary alloy system in which die diffusion coefficient is a function of composition was originally developed by Matano (1932), based on a mathematical development... 

An alloy system is all the alloys you can make with a given set of components "the Cu-Zn system" describes all the alloys you can make from copper and zinc. A binary alloy has two components a ternary alloy has three. 

The composition of an alloy, or of a phase in an alloy, is usually measured in weight %, and is given the symbol W. Thus, in an imaginary A-B alloy system ... 

The equilibrium diagram or phase diagram summarises the equilibrium constitution of the alloy system. 

Fig. 3.1. The phase diagram for the lead-tin alloy system. There ore three phases L - a liquid solution of lead and tin (Pb) - a solid solution of tin in lead and (Sn) - o solid solution of lead in tin. The diagram is divided up into six fields - three of them are single-phase, and three ore two-phose.

Phase diagrams have been measured for almost any alloy system you are likely to meet copper-nickel, copper-zinc, gold-platinum, or even water-antifreeze. Some... 

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