refinement analysis for different phases present in annealed as well as in cold-worked states and Warren-Averbach's method of line profile analysis is also used ...
Microstructural characterization and mechanical property of Cd-48.7 wt.% Ag alloy P.Bose1, S.K.Shee2, S.K.Pradhan1 and M.De2
1
Department of Physics, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India.
2
Department of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Calcutta-700032, India
ABSTRACT The 50-50 (at%/wt%) region of the Cd-Ag alloy phase diagram is very much complicated owing to the existence of several undefined (broken) phase boundaries. The present study concerns the alloy composition, Cd-48.7wt% Ag lying within this region considered for (i) correctly identifying by x-ray diffraction, the different phases formed, (ii) characterizing in the deformed state the detailed microstructure of the evaluated phases and finally, (iii) to analyze the composite effect of the phases present on the mechanical property (microhardness) of the alloy. The analysis revealed formation of one γ-brass (Cu5Zn8) like structure in Cd-Ag alloy (Ag5Cd8) with highly contracted lattice parameter is observed along with two other hcp and order bcc phases. The observed microhardness value of this composite alloy is found unusually high (365 kg/mm2). An effort is made to explain such exaggerated microhardness value in the light of various microstructural parameters, like particle size (coherently diffracting domain), r.m.s strain, stacking fault density, stacking fault energy, dislocation density etc. as evaluated adopting Rietveld’s powder structure refinement analysis for different phases present in annealed as well as in cold-worked states and Warren-Averbach’s method of line profile analysis is also used particularly to evaluate stacking fault probabilities of different nature.
