Specific heat-temperature curves of some age-hardening alloys

Abstract

In a recent paper Gayler (1937) has dealt with the various theories of age hardening and has put forward the view that ageing takes place in two stages: in the first stage the solute atoms diffuse to planes about which precipitation proper will ultimately take place, and this gives rise to an increase in resistance to deformation and an increase in electrical resistivity without change in lattice parameter. The second stage follows the first and takes place nearly simultaneously. Some of the diffusing atoms will form molecules gradually form groups which will tend to produce a gradual decrease in resistivity and a diminution in the rate of hardening. When the molecular groups have grown to such an extent that the parent solid solution can no longer withstand the stresses set up, release of these stresses is caused by rejection of the groups, i. e. precipitation proper takes place. Once precipitation has set in them, according to Gayler's view, softening should begin. This theory tends to combine the "Knot" theory (Gayler and Preston 1932), which states that age-hardening occurs due to the formation of clusters or groups of atoms inside the parent lattice (the first stage, according to Gayler), and the precipitation theory (Merica and other 1919) which attributed hardening to the presence of large numbers of precipitated particles, probably ultramicroscopic in size, dispersed throughout the material. Naturally the formation of clusters or knots will occur at a lower temperature than precipitation, so that at low temperatures hardening will occur by the mechanism of the first stage. At high temperatures hardening may take place due to precipitation, the first stage being masked entirely. The question as to which of the tow processes is likely to be more effective in any particular alloy when heat-treated to give the maximum hardness obtainable in the hardening range is not specifically dealt with by Gayler, although it is stated that the experimental evidence available suggests that the second stage is, in general, more important. The work of Cohen (1936) on the silver-copper alloy containing 7∙5 % copper supports this contention, since his results show that hardening due to knot formation even at low temperatures (100-150°C) is very small indeed.