Kinetics of discontinuous coarsening of cellular precipitate in a Ni-8.5 at.% Sn alloy

Abstract

The morphology and growth kinetics of the cellular precipitate and discontinuous coarsening of the cellular precipitate have been studied in the temperature range 815–995 K by utilizing optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Ni-Sn alloy was observed to decompose completely by cellular precipitation reaction into a lamellar structure consisting of alternate lamellae of the α and β phases at all aging temperatures. The fine lamellar structure of the primary cells decomposed into a coarse lamellar structure in two stages. In the first stage, the secondary cells with larger interlamellar spacing decomposed the primary cells. In the second stage, the tertiary cells with a much larger inter-lamellar spacing decomposed the secondary cells. The tertiary cells also decomposed the primary cells. The primary cell growth data were analysed by using theories of Petermann and Hornbogen, Turnbull and Cahn. The secondary and tertiary cell growth data were analysed by assuming that these also follow the theory of Petermann and Hornbogen of primary cell growth. From the diffusivity values, it has been concluded that the growth of primary, secondary and tertiary cells occurs by diffusion of tin along the migrating grain boundaries.