title: Atom probe characterization of precipitation in an aged Cu-Ni-P alloy.
abstract: A temporal evolution of clusters associated with age hardening behavior in a Cu-Ni-P alloy during ageing at 250 °C for up to 100 ks after solution treatment has been carried out. A three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analysis has showed that Ni-P clusters are present in the as-quenched condition, and that the cluster density increases as the ageing time increases. The clusters have a wide range of Ni/P ratios when they are relatively small, whereas larger clusters exhibit a narrow distribution of the Ni/P ratio, approaching a ratio of approximately two. These results would indicate that the clusters with various Ni/P ratios form at the early stage of precipitation and the ratio approaches a value identical to that of the equilibrium phase at 250 °C as the clusters enlarge during ageing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK. aruga.yasuhiro@kobelco.com
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aruga
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Saxey
authors.forename: Emmanuelle A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Marquis
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerezo
authors.forename: George D W
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Smith