Study of solid-solution hardening in binary aluminium-based alloys

Solid-solution formation in binary aluminium-based alloys is due essentially to the combined effects of the size and valence of solvent and solute atoms, as expected by the four Hume-Rothery rules. The lattice parameter of aluminium in the solid solution of the sputtered Al-Fe films is[Al-a(angstrom)=4.052-6.6x10(-3) Y]. The increasing and decreasing evolution of the lattice parameter of copper [Cu-a(angstrom)=3.612+1.8x10(-3) Z] and aluminium [Al-a (angstrom) = 4.048 - 1.6 x 10(-3) X] in the sputtered Al-1.8 to 92.5 at.% Cu films is a result of the difference in size between the aluminium and copper atoms. The low solubility of copper in aluminium (<1.8 at. % Cu) is due to the valences of solvent and solute atoms in contrast with other sputtered films prepared under similar conditions, such as Al-Mg(20 at.% Mg), Al-Ti(27 at.% Ti), Al-Cr (5at. % Cr) and Al-Fe (5.5 at. % Fe) where the solubility is due to the difference in size. (C) Central European Science Journals. All rights reserved.