Papers - Theoretical Metallurgy - Rate of Precipitation of Nickel Silicide in the Hardenable Copper-nickel-silicon and Copper-cobalt-silicon Alloys (Abstract with Discussion. See also A.I.M.E. Contribution 11.)

The change in electrical resistance and Rockwell hardness (16-100-B) of copper alloys containing Ni2Si and Co2Si was determined by annealing the quenched solid solutions at various temperatures for various lengths of time. The rate of precipitation of Nisi, as measured by the rate of decrease of electrical resistance and increase of hardness, increased with annealing temperature up to a certain point, depending on the percentage of Ni2Si present. At these temperatures discontinuities in the rate: change occurred. Similar discontinuities in the Co2Si alloys were no The solubility of Co2Si in copper was found to be 5 per cent at 970" DISCUSSION (Robert F. Mehl presiding) R. I?. Mehl, Pittsburgh, Pa. (written discussion).—The electrical conductivity and hardness curves reported in this paper are interesting, particularly because many of the anomalies of the precipitation processes are evident from such curves. The title of the paper, however, is deceptive, for it implies that measurements of electrical conductivity and hardness are suitable to determine the rate of precipitation. Neither of these methods is suitable for a quantitative measurement of rates of reaction or of precipitation in the solid state. Electrical conductivity in some alloys shows an anomalous increase during the first stages of aging at low temperatures; it is notably sensitive to strain and to state of subdivision. I have plotted the conductivity curve representing the decomposition of the phase at 555" C. in the copper-aluminum system, given in the paper by Smith and Lindlief (Fig. 47, p. 93) as a rate of reaction curve, and compared it with the curve determined by area evaluation (Fig. 7); these two curves are not coincident. Hardness is likewise very uncertain, for it is so much dependent upon particle size. Of the various methods proposed for the study of rates of reaction and precipitation, the evaluation of volume of reaction product from the respective area of matrix and reaction product on the photomicrograph is the most trustworthy; suffering, perhaps, only from low sensitivity during the early stages. This method, used originally by Davenport and Bain and now by Smith and Lindlief, is suitable for