Non-ferrous alloys

Jane Blackford

E-mail: jane.blackford@ed.ac.uk
Room: S141, Sanderson Building
 Non-ferrous alloys
• Aluminium
• Magnesium
• Titanium
• Nickel
• Copper
• Zinc
• Refractory metals (Mo, W)
• Noble metals
• Intermetallics
see www.webelements.com
“Light alloys” Metallurgy of the light metals,
I.J. Polmear; covers Al, Mg, Ti
 Applications of Al alloys
• General engineering:
– Aircraft construction
– Electric conductors
– Building construction

– others ?
 Aluminium (Al)
• crystal structure face centred cubic (fcc)
• melting point 660°C
• density 2700 kg m-3 (low)
• good corrosion resistance
• main alloying additions :
Cu, Mg, Mn, Si, Zn, Sn, Li, (Fe)
→ binary, ternary and higher order alloys
– so formation of many different [complex]
phases possible
 Al alloys
• cast
– e.g. Al-Cu, Al-Si
• wrought
– e.g. 7000 series alloys
 Al-Cu alloys
• adding Cu lowers the melting point of Al
• alloy suitable for casting
• Al-Cu alloys can be age hardened (see later)
Al-Cu phase diagram
 Al-4wt%Cu

fine Al2Cu precipitates coarse Al2Cu (over aged)

(age hardened)
 Al-Si alloys
• adding Si lowers the melting point of Al
• alloy suitable for sand or die casting (high fluidity)
• Al and Si have no solid solubility below the
eutectic
– so obtain microstructure of Si particles in an Al matrix
• good corrosion resistance and good weldability
• microstructure can be refined by rapid cooling to
increase strength and ductility
• or modify microstructure by adding Sr
Al-Si phase diagram
Al-wt%12Si

Al Si
 Al-12Si-0.02Sr

Eutectic composition Al
shifted - so obtain
primary silicon
dendrites Si
Si shape modified by Sr
 Wrought Al alloys
• wrought = rolled, extruded, forged
– heat treatable
– non-heat treatable
• International alloy designation system (IADS)
– e.g. 1XXX = Al
– 7XXX = Al-Zn-Mg-(Cu)
– specific example “7075”: Al-1.5Cu-2.5Mg-5.5Zn-
0.3Mn-0.2Cr-0.5Fe-0.4Si-0.3(Zr+Ti)

• NB no universally accepted designation system for cast alloys

 Age (or precipitation) hardening
• method of strengthening metals
• e.g. Al-Cu, 7075
• Need decrease in solid solubility of an
alloying element with decreasing
temperature
• Draw suitable phase diagram:
 Age hardening process
1. Solution treatment in single phase region
2. Quenching (rapid cooling) into water
– super saturated solid solution (ssss)
– e.g. of Al in Cu
3. Controlled decomposition of ssss
– fine dispersion of precipitates
– variation of ppt. size with T and composition (draw
diagram)

– see next slide for schematic

 Age hardening process

T 2. quench

1. solution treat 3. age t

MgZn2 strengthening
precipitates
 Oxidation and corrosion of Al
• Al is thermodynamically the least stable of
main engineering metals … but lucky
property of Al:
formation of dense highly protective
alumina film (only 1nm in thickness)
• can be reinforced by anodising
• can be destroyed by salt
 Magnesium (Mg)
• crystal structure hexagonal close packed (hcp)
• melting point 650°C
• density 1700 kgm-3 (very low)
• VERY POOR corrosion resistance
• main alloying additions : Al, Mn, Zn
• commercial cast alloy
– “AZ81”: Mg-8Al-0.5Zn-0.3Mn
• Automotive applications
• Largest use of Mg is in tablets!