Phase transformation and microstructure study of the as-cast Cu-rich Cu-Al-Mn ternary alloys

Abstract

Four Cu-rich alloys from the ternary Cu-Al-Mn system were prepared in the electric-arc furnace and casted in cylindrical moulds with dimensions: f=8 mm and length 12 mm. Microstructural investigations of the prepared samples were performed by using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy, equipped by energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Assignation of crystalline phases was confirmed by XRD analysis. Phase transition temperatures were determined using simultaneous thermal analyzer STA DSC/TG. Phase equilibria calculation of the ternary Cu-Al-Mn system was performed using optimized thermodynamic parameters from literature. Microstructure and phase transitions of the prepared as-cast alloys were investigated and experimental results were compared with the results of thermodynamic calculations.

Keywords

• Cu-Al-Mn alloys
• SMA alloys
• microstructure
• phase transformations