Effect of Applied Stress on Nucleation and Growth of Precipitates in a Cu-Be-Co Alloy

Abstract

The influence of an external stress on the nucleation and growth of disk-shaped G.P. zones has been investigated for a Cu-1.2wt%Be-0.1wt%Co alloy aged at 220 °C. A compressive stress applied in the [001] direction during aging preferentially accelerates the nucleation and growth of the G.P. zones perpendicular to the [001] axis, whereas a tensile stress does not significantly affect those of G.P. zones. The promotion of the nucleation and growth of the G.P. zones perpendicular to the compressive-stress axis can be well understood through the interaction energy between the applied stress and the misfit strains of G.P. zones. The critical diameter of the disk-shaped G.P. zone nucleus was estimated as about 1.3 nm from evaluation of the interaction energy.