Radiation enhanced precipitation of solute atoms in AlCu binary alloys; Energetic ion irradiation experiment and computer simulation

Mayumi, Ren*; Semboshi, Satoshi*; Okamoto, Yoshihiro  ; Saito, Yuichi*; Yoshiie, Toshimasa*; Iwase, Akihiro*

AlCu binary alloys were irradiated with 16 MeV Au, 4.5 MeV Ni or 4.5 MeV Al ions at room temperature. Changes in surface hardness and the local atomic structure around Cu atoms were examined by using the Vickers hardness measurement and the EXAFS measurements, respectively. Some specimens were aged at 453 K and Vickers hardness was measured. The computer simulation was also performed by using the rate equation method. The hardness of irradiated specimens increased much faster than that of the aged specimens and it became larger than the maximum value of the hardness for the aged specimens. The comparison of the experimental EXAFS result with that of FEFF simulation suggests that the ion irradiation produced small Cu precipitates in the specimens. The computer simulation visualized the growth process of Cu precipitates during the irradiation, and the result qualitatively corresponds to the experimental result.