Aging Effects of Cu-Zn-Al Shape Memory Alloys Studied by the Alchemi Measurements

Abstract

AbstractThe aging effects of two kinds of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloys (Cu-ll.4 Zn-18.7A1 (A) and Cu-ll.2Zn-17.lAl (B) in at%) have been examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom location by channeling enhanced microanalysis (ALCHEMI). In the directly quenched (D.Q.) state, alloy A was the parent phase, Ms being 253 K, and alloy B was the martensite phase. The alloy B was subjected another quenching treatment as follows: It was once quenched into an oil bath at 423 K and held for 300 s, followed by quenching into iced water (step quench (S.Q.) ). The D.Q. alloy B did not exhibit the reverse transformation because of a stabilization of the martensbite phase, but the S.Q. alloy B did and its As temperature of the reverse transformation was raised with the progress of aging at the martensitic state. Fraction of Zn atoms at the Cu(2) site examined by the ALCHEMI measurements was almost the same in the parent phase of D.Q. alloy A and its aged one, indicating no change in Cu and Zn atom sites, while it was gradually decreased in S.Q. alloy B with the progress of aging. The fraction of Zn atoms in D.Q. alloy B was much lower than those in the S.Q. alloy B and its aged one. TEM observation of the S.Q. alloy B revealed that stacking faults as the lattice invariant shear in the M18R martensites decreased in the density with the progress of aging. The decrease in the fraction of Zn atoms and in the density of stacking faults well corresponds to the increase in As temperature, and thus the martensite stabilization was attributed to a disordering between Cu and Zn atoms and to an annihilation of stacking faults.