Composition and automated crystal orientation mapping of rapid solidification products in hypoeutectic Al-4 at.%Cu alloys

Abstract

Rapid solidification can produce metastable phases and unusual microstructure modifications in multi-component alloys during additive manufacturing or laser beam welding. Composition and phase mapping by transmission electron microscopy have been used here to characterize the morphologically distinct zones developing in hypoeutectic Al-4 at.% Cu alloy after pulsed laser melting for different crystal growth rate regimes. Deviations of the compositions of the alloy phases from equilibrium predictions and unique orientation relationships between the solidification transformation products have been determined. Specifically, for the columnar growth zone at solidification rates of 0.8ms−1< v <va=1.8ms−1, two distinct orientation relationships were established between the concomitantly forming non-equilibrium phases, supersaturated α-Al solid solution and the discontinuously distributed α-Al2Cu-based θ′-phase, which can be described as {110}θ∥ {001}α, [001]θ∥ [110]α and {001}θ∥ {001}α, [100]θ∥ [100]α. These orientation relationships permit formation of coherent interphase interfaces with low interfacial free energy. This endows a kinetic advantage to the thermodynamically less stable θ′-Al2Cu phase relative to the more stable equilibrium θ-Al2Cu phase during formation of the morphologically modified eutectic of the columnar growth zone grains, since repeated nucleation is required to establish the discontinuous distribution of θ′-Al2Cu phase.