Part I – January 1969 - Papers - An X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of UniaxiaIIy Deformed Cu3Pt

The uniaxial deformation of thermally ordered and disordered polycrystalline Cu3Pt was studied by means of the X-ray line - broadening analysis according to Warren and Averbach and the extension of this analysis to ordered fcc materials by Mikkola and Cohen. Because of the heat treatment history, extinction had a pronounced effect on the X-ray spectra of ordered and disordered C%Pt at small plastic strains. After an appropriate correction for extinction, the long-range order in thermally ordered ChPt was found to decrease at a slow constant rate with plastic strain. Furthermore, the antiphase domain probability increased at a constant rate to 17.5 pct strain. The effective particle size behavior indicated that the stacking fault energy is lower in ordered than in disordered Cu3Pt. Analysis of the stress-strain curves shouled that ordered Cuzt has a slightly lower yield Point but a much higher work-hardening rate than disordered Cu3Pt. THE presence of long-range order in a solid-solution alloy has a marked effect on its mechanical properties. While this effect has been known qualitatively for many years, it was not until recently that detailed investigations have been performed to determine the exact role long-range order plays in this strengthening mechanism. The development of an advanced, quantitative. X-ray diffraction analysis by Warren and Averbachl and the extension of this analysis to the L1, type super lattice by Mikkola and cohen2 have greatly accelerated research in this field. The research reported in this paper consisted of two primary phases. The first phase was to determine the effect of long-range order on the tensile properties of polycrystalline Cu3Pt. This objective was accomplished by comparing the stress-strain behavior of thermally ordered CusPt to that of thermally disordered CusPt. The second phase of the research was to determine the difference between the atomic arrangements in thermally ordered and thermally disordered Cu3Pt as a function of uniaxial deformation and thereby gain a deeper insight into the mechanism by which long-range order affects the tensile properties. This second objective was accomplished by applying the Warren-Averbach method of peak profile analysis to the X-ray diffraction patterns obtained from ordered and disordered Cu3Pt after given amounts of uniaxial deformation. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The Cu3Pt was prepared by vacuum melting and casting. After a homogenization anneal, the ingot was cold-rolled to sheet form. Two tensile specimens with gage sections of 2.50 by 0.500 by 0.115 in. were carefully machined from the sheet. The specimens were polished with a final step of 600-grit paper to insure smooth diffracting surfaces. Finally, one specimen was heat-treated to yield an average grain diameter of 0.016 mm and an initial degree of long-range order, S, of 0.825. The other specimen was water-quenched from above the critical temperature, 645"C, to yield an average grain diameter of 0.017 mm and zero long-range order. The heat treatment history of each specimen is shown in Table I. The tensile tests were performed utilizing a Research Incorporated Model 900.95 Materials Testing System. This unit employs a closed-loop feedback system which maintains a constant strain rate through an extensometer clipped to the gage section of the tensile specimen. A strain rate of 1.32 i0.02 x 10"4 sec-' was employed in testing both specimens. In the X-ray diffraction analysis, a General Electric XRD-5 diffractometer equipped with a pulse-height analyzer set for 90 pct efficiency was employed. The goniometer speed selected was 0.2 deg, 20, per min. Filtered Cu radiation was used for all peaks and all peaks were chart-recorded. Because of nonuni-form grain size. it was necessary to spin the specimens during X-ray analysis in order to obtain reproducible integrated intensities. The spinning rate was 2000 i100 rpm. The application of the Warren-Averbach method of peak broadening analysis to a diffraction pattern is very time consuming if done manually. In this research, the calculations involved were performed with the aid of a computer program by wagner.3 As reported by Wagner, the program is written in Fortran TV computer language. It was modified to Fortran I1 so as to be handled by the IBM 7072 computer at Van-derbilt University. In the X-ray diffraction analysis of uniaxially deformed Cu3Pt, the 100, 200. 400. 111, and 222 reflections were recorded from the initially ordered sample after 'plastic strains of 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12.0,