Papers - Constitution of Alloys - Equilibrium Relations in Aluminum-zinc Alloys of High Purity (With Discussion)

Zinc is one of the effective elements introduced to enhance the strength of aluminum. This strengthening is principally attributable to the high solid solubility of zinc in aluminum and the pronounced variation of solubility with temperature. Consequently an accurate determination of the solid solubility curve is desirable. The solid solubility relations have been studied by numerous investigators. Shepherd1 first established the existence of a solid solution region at the aluminum end of the diagram (-v phase) by specific volume and microscopic determinations. Bauer and Voge12 published a constitutional diagram which showed the limits of solid solubility as determined by thermal and microscopic methods. Hanson and Gayler3 presented the aluminum-zinc diagram which is now most generally accepted (Fig. 1). Chill-cast samples were given thermal treatments designed to obtain equilibrium conditions, quenched, and microscopically examined. The solubility was placed between 15 to 20 per cent at 60" C., 20 to 22 per cent at 140" C. and 36 to 38 per cent at 270" C. Sander and Meissner decidedly modified the limits of the -y phase field of Hanson and Gayler's diagram by using similar methods on chill-cast specimens annealed for a shorter period of time. Tanabe,s utilizing dynamic hard-ness, electrical conductivity and dilatometric measurements of specimens at temperature, obtained values comparable to Hanson and Gayler's at room temperature, but appreciably lower at higher temperatures. Nishimura6 concluded from age-hardening results of aluminum-zinc alloy chill castings, which had been quenched from 400" to 500" C., that the solubility of zinc in aluminum at room temperature is less than 5 * Metallurgical Division, Aluminum Research Laboratories. 1 E. S. Shepherd: Aluminum-Zinc Alloys, Jnl, phys. Chem. (1905) 9, 504. 2 0. Bauer and 0. Vogel: Aluminum-Zinc Alloys, Int. Jn1. Melallog. (1916) 8, 101. 3 D. Hanson and M. V. L. Gayler: A Further Study of the Alloys of Aluminum and Zinc. Jnl. Inst. Met. (1922) 27, 267. 4 W. Sander and K. L. Meissner: ZII~ Kenntnis der Konstitution der Aluminium-Zinklegierungen. Ztsch. f. Metallkunde (1922) 14, 385. 4 T. Tanabe: Studies in the Aluminum-Zinc System, Jnl. Inst. Met. (1924) 32, 415 6 H. Nishimura: On the Age-Hardening of Aluminum-Rich Al-Zn Alloys. Mem. Kyoto Imp. Univ. (1924) 3, 133.