Formation of a new intermediate phase and its evolution toward θ’ during aging of pre-deformed Al-Cu alloys

摘要

The frequent occurrence of hitherto unknown phase Pre-θ′-2 and unusual 1.5 cθ′thick θ′precipitate was observed by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy in the well-studied Al-Cu alloys. This phenomenon is associated with heterogeneous precipitate nucleation and growth on preexisting dislocations introduced by slight deformation prior to aging. In this study, the precise structure details of Pre-θ′-2 was determined by atomic scale imaging, image simulation based on image forming theories and first principle calculations. Pre-θ′-2 has a well-defined ordered structure sandwiched between two 2 aAl(~1.5 cθ′) spaced Cu layers on {200}Alplanes. The strong structural similarities between Pre-θ′-2 and 1.5 cθ′ thick θ′ in terms of interfacial structure and thickness, coupled with energetic calculations and preliminary in-situ observations, lead us to propose a new precipitation path toward key strengthening phase θ′