Kinetics and Microstructural Control

· In the composition range between 0.1 wt % Cu and 52 wt % Cu the lowest free energy occurs for these two phases in thermodynamic equilibrium.
· The partial phase diagram shows that the 4 wt % Cu alloy is a single phase solid solution above 500 C. Cooling below this temperature the composition lineenters the two phase region.
· The alloy microstructure is cooling history dependent.

From: Higgins, "Engineering Metallurgy,"
Arnold (1989)