ALLOY SYSTEMS

An ALLOY is a material that contains more than one element and has the characteristic properties of metals.

Characteristics of alloy are: strong, harder, resistant to corrosion, have a better finish and lustrous

The metals posses metallic luster, more or less ductility, and considerable ability to conduct heat and electricity.

Compounds that contain both a metal or metals and certain nonmetals, particularly those containing carbon, are also called alloys.

Alloys can be classified as solution alloys, heterogeneous alloys, and intermetallic compounds.

Solution alloys are homogeneous mixtures in which the components are dispersed randomly and uniformly.

*substitutional alloy *interstitial alloy

Heterogeneous alloy the components are not dispersed uniformly. The properties of heterogeneous alloys depend not only on the composition but also on the manner in which the solid is formed from the molten mixture.

Intermetallic compounds are homogeneous alloys that have definite properties and compositions. Compounds of this type are usually very hard and wear-resistant.

For example, copper and aluminum form a compound known as Duraluminum, used especially in aircraft, that contains 3.5-4.5 percent copper.

Phase Equilibrium Diagram

Since the properties of many alloys are dependent upon the properties of the phases and the manner in which those phases form an aggregate structure, it is important to have some method of determining the interrelationship of phases in a system.

This can be done by means of a diagram which will show the composition of phases that are in equilibrium at all temperatures. An equilibrium diagram may be defined as a plot of the composition of phases as a function of temperature in any alloy system under equilibrium conditions.

Cooling Curves
One method of determining the temperatures at which phase changes occur in a system involves the measurement of the temperature as a function of time during the very slow cooling of different alloys in the system.

Other types of Equilibrium Diagrams

Peritectic Reaction - Is a reaction that occurs between a liquid and a soild phse on cooling which results in the formation of a single homogeneous phase.

Eutectoid Transformation - may occur within the solid state in some systems. A solid solution may transform to an intimate mechanical mixture of two or more phases.

Ternary Phase Diagrams A majority of alloys contain more than two components. These diagrams will have liquidus surfaces and solidus surfaces in place of liquidus curves and solidus curves.

Transformation Diagrams
- is a plot of temperature as a function of the percent of phases present. This diagram provides a picture of the changes that occur and a means by which the formation of phases and structural constituents can be visualized.