Pergamon

CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION
COARSENING

AND
IN

PRECIPITATE

A Mg-Al

ALLOY

Q. M. AMIR and S. P. GUPTA

Department

Abstract-The

of Metallurgical

morphology

Engmeering,

and growth

lndtan

kinetics

Institute

of Technology,

of the cellular

coarsening have been studied in the temperature ran&e 440-580 K.

precipitate
OptiCdl

Kanpur-208016,

India

as well as its discontinuous

microscopy and X-ray diffraction

were used to characterize

the cellular transformation.
A rapidly solidified metastable
Mg-7 at.% Al alloy
was observed to decompose completely
via a process which has been termed cellular precipitation
into
a lamellar structure
consisting
of the 6 and y phases at all aging temperatures
used in this investigation.
The fine lamellar structure of the primary
cells subsequently
decomposed
into a coarse lamellar structure
consisting of the same two phases. Lattice parameter
measurements
have indicated that the depleted matrix
of the 6 phase associated with the initial cells was richer in solute than the equilibrium
solos.
6/(6+;).
The solute concentration
in the depleted matrix associated with the coarsened material w-as less than the
published equilibrium
solvus. Analysis of the growth kinetics of both the primary
cellular reaction. and its

subsequent coarsening stage, has indicated that the transformation is controlled by diffusion of aluminum
through the cell boundaries.
ResumePOn a ttudie, g des temperatures allant de 440 a 580 K. la morphologie
croissance

et de grossissement

discontinu

du precipite

cellulaire.

On a utilise

et les cinetiques de

la microscopic

optique

et la

diffraction de rayons-X pour caracteriser la transformation cellulaire. On a observe quun alliage mttastable
de Mg-7 at.% AI rapidement solidifie. se decompose completement en une structure lamellaire constituee
de phases j et 7, pour toutes les temperatures de vieillissement utilisees darts cette etude, via un processus
appelt precipitation cellulaire. La structure lamellaire fine de cellules primaires sest ensuite decomposee
en une structure lamellaire grossiere comprenant les memes deux phases. Les mesures des parametres de
mailles ont indiquees que la matrice appauvrie de la phase 6 associte avec les cellules initiales Ctait plus
riche en solute que le point dequilibre du solvus 6!(6+y). La concentration en solute de la matrice
appauvrie. associee avec le materiau gross,. etait moindre que celle du point dtquilibre. Lanalyse de
la cinetique des croissances, en premier lieu des reactions cellulaires. puis des etapes consecutives de
grossissement, indique que la transformation est contrBlee par la diffusion daluminium
au travers des
joints de cellules.

1. INTRODUCTION

been carried out to study the kinetics of discontinuous coarsening of the cellular precipitate and compare the results with those
for the primary cellular precipitation in the same alloy.

The phase transformation

in M&-AI alloys containing
551 I
at.% AI [I, 21 occurs by cellular growth when supersaturated
solid solution. 8, decomposes into the structurally identical but
chemically different 6 phase and a solute-rich precipitate phase,
;J.This type of phase transformation
has been termed cellular
precipitation
by Turnbull to distinguish it from general precipitation. The microstructure
has been reported to consist of
lamellae of the 6 and 7 phases. The kinetics of the primary
cellular growth have been studied in alloys containing from 5
to I1 at.% Al [2] by utilizing scanning electron microscopy and
optical microscopy. The data have been analyzed using the
theories of Turnbull [3] and Sundquist [4]. The growth of cells
has been shown to be controlled by solute diffusion through the
grain boundaries [2].
A discontinuous coarsening is observed in a large number of
binary [5-l I] and a few ternary [12] alloy systems. No attempt
has been made in the past to characterize this secondary transformation in Mg-Al alloys. The product of this transformation
has a coarse lamellar structure which graduallv replaces the fine
lamellar structure of the primary cells. This investigation
has

2. EXPERIMEIVTAL
The Mg-7 at.% Al alloy was obtained in the as cast condition
in the form of rods 1 cm in diameter and approximately 9 cm
long. The rods were lightly cold deformed and annealed at 650
K for one day in a sealed quartz tube under vacuum. A number
of specimens, 2 mm thick, were cut from the rod. These were
ground flat and cleaned.
The disc specimens were encapsulated in a quartz tube under
vacuum, annealed for 1.5 h at 650 K and quenched in a mixture
of ice and water mainmined at 277 K. In order to prevent
possible room temperature transformation,
the quenched specimens were stored in a refrigerator. All aging treatments were
carried out in a salt bath maintained within k 2 K of the desired
temperature. In order to prevent oxidation and direct salt corrosion of the Mg-Al
alloy, each specimen was wrapped in
aluminum
43

foil

before

aging.

A number

of specimens

were

aged

44

Q. M. AMIR

and S. P. GUPTA:

CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

AND

PRECIPITATE

COARSENING

at each temperature for different durations and quenched. The

aged specimens were prepared for metallographic
examination
using standard metallographic
techniques. The structure was
revealed by etching in a solution of ethyl glycol, glacial acetic
acid. HNO, and water.
The growth distance and interlamellar spacing measurements
were carried out using optical microscopy on well-polished and
etched specimens. The compositions of the depleted matrix of
the primary and secondary cells were determined from lattice
parameter measurements using X-ray diffraction on bulk specimens. Cu-K, radiation was used to determine { 11 .O) and {00.4}
peak positions for the determination of a and c parameters,
respectively. The data were corrected for instrumental error by
determining the peak positions of { 11 .O} and (00.4) reflections
for high purity Zn. The composition of the depleted 6 phase
was determined from both a and c parameters.

3. RESULTS

AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Microstructure

In order to understand the nature of the cellular phase transformation in supersaturated

Mg-AI
alloys, detailed microscopic examination of aged specimens was carried out. The yphase nucleated on grain boundaries causing deflection from
their initial position. The boundary deflection occurred either
preferentially on one side of some grain boundaries or on both
sides of other boundaries. Neighbouring
segments of the grain
boundaries were also observed to be deflected in opposite
grains. Moreover, there was always a small fraction of the grain
boundaries on which the cellular precipitate either did not form
or appeared very late during aging. These are presumed to
be either low angle grain boundaries or boundaries in CSL
orientations.
The volume fraction of the transformed region
increased with time of aging and ultimately the entire volume
was transformed. However, before complete transformation
of
the solid solution to the primary cells, a new structure consisting
of the same two phases but with a larger interlamellar
spacing
appeared in the microstructure.
3.2. Growth

Time,

Fig. I. (a) Growth distance vs time of aging, primary cells. (b) Growt
distance vs time of aging, secondary cells.

rate

The growth rate for both primary cells and secondary coarsened patches at each temperature was determined from average
growth distance vs time data. The growth distance was measured as the perpendicular
distance from the original position
of the grain boundary to the leading edge of the cell. About 40
measurements were made on each specimen and the average
growth distance determined. For the measurement of the coarsening rate, only those patches which originated at the grain
boundary position were considered for evaluation. Again,
about 40 measurements were made. The growth distance values
were multiplied by a factor 7114 to be consistent with the bulk
averaging technique of Gust et al. [I 31. Growth distance vs time
plots are shown for both primary and secondary features at a
few temperatures in Fig. 1(a) and (b). respectively. Growth rates
as determined from the best straight lines drawn through the
points are shown in Fig. 2 and Table I as a function of the
absolute temperature. The growth rate of the primary cells
reported by Frebel et al. [2] for a Mg-7 at.% Al alloy is also
shown in Fig. 2 for comparison. The growth rates of the primary

g lo-lo
6
10-l

10-12I
450

500

550

T, K
Fig. 2. Growth rate vs temperature of aging.

Q. M. AMIR
Table
I,, m

T(K)

and S. P. GUPTA

I. Composition,
S-I

440
460
480
500
520
550
570
580

(x

growth

lO-y)

: CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

rate and intcrlamcllar

P2, m SK (x lo-)

0.84
2
4.8
7.31
10.33
15.16
11.00
9.84

AND

PRECIPITATE

spacing data for the primary

.~~~
s,, m (X IO-)
s2, m (x lo-)

1.092
2.58
6.84
10.91
14.76
18.47

cells obtained in this investigation are 2-3 times higher than

those reported by Frebel et al. [2]. The growth rates of the
primary cells are approximately two orders of magnitude higher
than those obtained for secondary coarsening at each temperature. This has generally been observed in other alloy systems.
There is a maximum in the rate of growth at approximately 550
K.
3.3. Interlumeliar spacing
The interlamellar
spacing data for both primary and secondary cells (S, and S2, respectively) are shown in Table 1 and
plotted in Fig. 3. Each data point in Fig. 3 is an average of 40
measurements made randomly on the specimen and multiplied
by a factor n/4 to be consistent with the average growth rate
from bulk specimens. The interlamellar
spacing decreases continuously with decreasing temperature of aging as expected.
The ratio S,/& remains constant at 1.5 at all temperatures. The
interlamellar
spacing data reported by Frebel et al. [Z] for a
Mg7 at.% Al alloy are also shown for comparison. There is
reasonably good matching
at lower aging temperatures:
however, the discrepancy becomes noticeable at higher temperatures.
3.4. Composition qfthe depleted matrix
The average composition of the &phase in the primary and
secondary structures was determined from the lattice parameter
measurements using X-ray diffraction and is shown in Table 1

36
40.41
46.95
56.42
71.04
93.87
115.4
163.94

45

COARSENING
and secondary

52.82
62.84
72.69
90.09
141.37
209.65

cells

X;

X;

X;

0.0225
0.028
0.0345
0.039
0.0465
0.051
0.0555
0.058

0.0115
0.0125
0.018
0.255
0.028
0.045
-

0.018
0.0215
0.026
0.03 1
0.0363
0.045
0.0525
0.0555

and plotted in Fig. 4. A section of the equilibrium

phase diagram of the Mg-rich end of the Mg-Al
alloy system is also
shown. The composition
of the depleted h-phase was determined from the lattice parameter-composition
data on Mg-Al
alloy reported by Busk [14] from both a and c parameters.
The two values were observed to be within k 5% of each other
at all temperatures. However, in order to be consistent, the
composition of the depleted matrix obtained through the a
parameter is reported here. The average depleted matrix composition for the Mg-Al alloy containing 5, 7, 9 and 11 at.% Al
reported by Frebel ef al. [2] in the primary cells is also shown
in Fig. 4 for comparison. As can be seen, the results of this
investigation are in good agreement with those reported by
Frebel et al. [2] for the primary cells. The composition of the
depleted matrix in the secondary cells falls to the left of the
equilibrium solvus. Depletion of the matrix composition in the
secondary cells in excess of the equilibrium
solvus has been
obtained in a few alloy systems in the past, for example, Al-Zn
[15] and Cu-In [16].
3.5. Kinetics qf the primary cellular reaction
A number of theories have been proposed in the past to
describe the kinetics of the cellular phase transformation
in
substitutional
alloys. In most of these theories, the rate of
growth of cells, zj,, is related to the boundary diffusivity, D,,
and interlamellar spacing, S,, by the following equation :
kDb6
L,=CX--S

1 o-5
E
800
700

M
+

600
Equilibrium

solvus

500

400
I

3001 11 12
0

lF7-

550
T,

spacing

10

Al, atom%

Fig. 4. Composition
Fig. 3. Interlamellar

vs temperature.

of the depleted matrix,

Al phase diagram.

superimposed

on the

Mg-

46

Q. M. AMIR

and S. P. GUPTA

: CELLULAR

PREClPITATION

AND

PRECIPITATE

COARSENING

where Y is related to the composition of the depleted matrix

and has different values for various models, k is the segregation
coefficient and fi is the thickness of the cell boundary. The value
of 2 for the Petermann and Hornbogen [ 171 theory is
AC
.z = -8
RT
where AC, is the driving force for the growth of primary cells
and R and T have their usual meaning. The driving force for
the primary cellular reaction was calculated from the relation

In equation (5). ,Yt is the equilibrium

atom fraction of Al in
the ci phase, that is, the equilibrium
solvus composition, and
X:B is the atom fraction of Al in the y phase. Using the calculated
value of L from equation (5) (Table 2) the free energy of the
(6 +:s) phase mixture, AGi-, of the primary cells has been
calculated at each temperature at the original alloy composition
from the relation
(6)

AC:-? = (~)A(;:+(~)AG;.

In equation (3). AC: is the chemical free energy available for

the growth of primary cells and ;Jis the specific interfacial energy
of the 6i;~ interface. A value of 296 mJ mm2 has been used for
the interfacial energy in this alloy system [l 81. The molar volume
was calculated by taking a = 3.1815 8, and cl = 5.1725 A
[14] for Mg-7 at.% Al alloy, and it equals 13.6545 x 10m6 rn
mall.
There is a general lack of information
in the literature on
the temperature and composition dependence of the activity
coefficients of the 6 and :> phases in Mg-Al alloys in the temperature range of this investigation. The chemical driving force
was therefore calculated using the regular solution model and
the procedure outlined by Chuang et ul. [ 191. Accordingly :

Neglecting AG$hcp, and from the reported value of the enthalpy

of formation of the y phase [20]. the free energies of formation
of the 7 phase, AG;, were calculated at each temperature from
the relation AG = AH,, . AT/ Te. where AT is the difference
between the temperature of formation of the ; phase. 735 K,
and the aging temperature and AH, is the enthalpy of formation
of the :.Jphase. The composition of the 7 phase in equilibrium
with the 6 phase in the range of aging temperatures of this
investigation is taken to be p B(A,, = 0.39. The enthalpy of formation of the y phase is taken to be -958 J mall
and is
assumed to have a very weak temperature dependence.
The interaction parameter, L, has been calculated at each
temperature using the procedure outlined by Chuang et al. [19]
and the following equation :

Table

T(K)

440
460
480
500
520
550
570
580

3.914
3.801
3.661
3.545
3.571
3.319
3.231
3.203

-AC;
(J mol-)
-4.23
23.6
60.99
94.98
1 19.56
171.68
205.08
217.41

-AC:
(J mol78.77
92.78
112.11
132.44
147.71
186.53
213.31
223.74

2.

AGy = AC;+; -AC:,

(7)

where AG: is the value of AC at the original alloy composition.

Free energy-composition
diagrams evaluated at 500 and 550 K
using the above procedure are shown in Fig. 5(a) and (b),
respectively. The chemical free energy and the available driving
force for the growth of primary cells at each temperature is
shown in Table 2.
The value of u for the model after Sundquist [4] is 40 cos 0
and S instead of S, as used in equation (1). The parameter 17is
determined from the fraction of the solute recovered using the
following equation :

(8)
In equation (8) Xz is the composition of the fi phase at the
three phase junction &6,-y. and is given by

from the Gibbs-Thomson

equation. In the above equation (I is
the angle between the normal to the interface and the growth
direction. The value of 0 and cos 0 are taken to be n/6 and 0.7,
respectively, by Sundquist [4].
The diffusivity during the primary cell growth according to

Free energy data for the primary and secondary cells

-A;+,
I)

In equation (6) AG; is the value of AGD at the depleted matrix

composition of the 6 phase. The chemical free energy for the
primary cellular precipitation is determined from the relation

(J mol-)
I 18.28
123.6
134.1
147.8
156.18
189.6
213.4
222.95

-6G:
(J molt

122.52
100.0
73.11
52.81
37.2 1
17.91
8.31
5.54

+ AGj
(J mol )
22.42
20.0
17.21
14.32
11.38
8.61
7.0
4.93

-AG,
(J molF)

-A0
(J mol)

10.07
80.0
55.89
38.48
25.83
9.3
1.31
0.61

1.29
2.77
3.71
2.96
5.12
1.22

-(A(;>-AG,,)
(J molF)
7.18
7.13
6.1
5.35
5.66
4.75

- AGz
(J molF)
8.47
9.91
9.81
8.32
10.78
5.97

Q. M. AMIR

and S. P. GUPTA

: CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

AND

PRECIPITATE

41

COARSENING

above simplification
because values of L, L, and K are not
known, substitution of X$ = XR and Xk as the depleted matrix
composition yields a modified value of s( given as follows :
(13)

I
I

-i
0

E
b

10

20

30

40

From the experimentally determined values of the growth rate,

interlamellar
spacing and composition of the depleted matrix,
the k&b values were calculated at each temperature for the five
models described above. The temperature dependence of the
diffusivity is shown in Fig. 6(a) and (b). The data show deviation
from the linear behavior at the highest temperature for most of
the models. However, within the error of the experiment, the
data can be fitted to straight lines reasonably well. The activation energies determined from the slopes of the straight lines
range from 70 to 128 kJ mol- (Table 3). The models of Sundquist [4], Cahn [21] and Hillert [22] give an activation energy of
about
70 kJ mol-, which is less than the activation energy of
127 kJ mol- determined from the model of Petermann and

Mg

0"

lo-l6 F
c

Petermann

and

flornbogen

-300

xKI

L---X",
1

II

04

20

Al,
Fig. 5. (a) Free energy-composition
composition

Turnbull
is

(a)

30

Dilute

solution

40

atom%

diagram at 500 K; (b) free energydiagram at 550 K.

[3] is also given by equation

(I), and the parameter

(10)

1 .I

"E

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

The value of r for the theory of cellular precipitation

after
Cahn [21] is r = 4~, where r) is related to the fraction of the
supersaturation,
W, obtained from the following equation :

According to the theory of cellular precipitation

by Hillert
[22], model-2 can be used to analyze the data. The value of the
parameter c( in equation (1) is

(12)
10-23

,
1.7

where Xy is the composition of the 6 phase at the 6/;1 interface.

Taking L6 = L = 0.5 and K* = 1, as suggested by Hillert [22],
the modified value of the parameter a is 4S,/$. Avoiding the

1000/T,
Fig. 6. (a) and (b) Diffusivity

K-l

vs l/T for the primary

cellular

reaction.

48

Q. M. AMIR and S. P. GUPTA : CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

AND PRECIPITATE

COARSENING

Table 3. Activation energy data for the glowth of primary and secondary ceils
S

Activation
energy Q
(kJ mol-)

Petermann and
Hornbogen

Cahn

Turnbull

125

68.25

100.35

Sundquist

Hillert

Petermann and
Hornbogen

Livingston
and Cahn

73.25

71.32

120

90.00

Hornbogen [17]. The model of Turnbull [3] yields an activation

energy of 100 kJ mol-, which is consistent with the range of
activation energies, 97-l 14 kJ mol-, reported by Frebel et al.
[2] for Mg-AI alloys containing 5-l 1 at.% Al.
Since grain boundary diffusion data for the diffusion of Al
in Mg in Mg-AI alloys are not available. an attempt is made to
compare the results of this investigation with diffusivity for selfdiffusion in Mg and Al as well as diffusivities in AI-Mg alloys.
The diffusion constants for self-diffusion in Mg parallel to the
C-axis are reported [23] to be Do = lO~rns~ and Q,, = 134.66
kJ molY. The diffusion constants for self-diffusion in Mg
perpendicular
to the C-axis are reported to be Do = 1.5 x
10m4 m2 s- and QV = 136 kJ mol-. Considering that the ratio
of the activation energy for boundary self-diffusion to that for
volume self-diffusion in other hcp metals (Zn and Cd) fall in
the range from 0.5 to 0.7 (24 to 27), the average activation
energy for boundary self-diffusion in Mg should fall in the range
from 67.6 to 94.7 kJ mol-. The activation energy for selfdiffusion in Al is reported to be 142.22 kJ mol- [28]. The
activation energy for chemical diffusion in Mg-Al alloys containing O-20 at.% Al is 143.47 kJ mol- [29]. The activation
energies for boundary self-diffusion in Al and for diffusion
through the grain boundaries in Mg-Al alloys is expected to
fall in the ranges 71-100 kJ mol- and 72-100 kJ mole. respectively. The models of Cahn [Zl], Hillert [22], Sundquist [4] and
Turnbull [3] yield activation energies which are well within the
range of values expected for boundary self-diffusion in Mg, Al
or Mg-AI alloys. The activation energy obtained from the
model of Petermann and Hornbogen [17] is on the higher side,
as is observed for almost all alloy systems analyzed for the
kinetics of cellular phase transformation
using this model. Since
the activation energies for self-diffusion in Al and Mg and
chemical diffusion in Mg-AI alloys are very close to each other.
it would be appropriate to consider diffusion values in Mg-Al
alloys.
The volume diffusivity for chemical diffusion in Mg-Al alloys
at 500 K is calculated
from the diffusion
constants
D, = 1.2x 10m4 m2 s and QV(= 143.47 k.J mol-
as given
above) to be 1.23 x lo-l9 m* SF. Taking the boundary thickness, 6, to be 5 x lo- m, the experimentally
observed diffusivity at 500 K for the model after Petermann and Hornbogen
[17] is 6.3 x lo- m s, which is eight orders of magnitude
higher than volume diffusivity in Mg-Al alloys. Comparison
with other models indicates that the experimentally
observed
diffusivities are 67 orders of magnitude higher than the volume
diffusivity in Mg-Al alloys at 500 K. Thus, a volume diffusion
controlled growth of primary cells can be ruled out. It can

Mobility

therefore be concluded that the growth of primary

by solute transport through the cell boundaries.

104

cells occurs

3.6. Kinetics of secondary cell growth

The theory of discontinuous
coarsening of cellular colonies
as developed by Fournelle [30] is based on the theory of primary
cell growth of Petermann and Hornbogen
[17]. Accordingly,
the rate of growth of the secondary cells is given by the following
equation
kD,6
v* = -8 __
AGz.
RTS;

(14)

In equation (l4), AG, is the driving force for the growth of

secondary cells represented in terms of the chemical free energies AC: and AC; for the primary and secondary cells. respectively, and the interfacial free energies, AC: and AG1; associated
with the primary and secondary cells: respectively. It is written
as
AG, = AGT-AG:+AG;-AG:.

(15)

The chemical free energy, AG$, available for the growth of

secondary cells was calculated at each temperature using the
same set of equations [(6) and (7)] as used for the primary cells.
The value of X, corresponds to the equilibrium
solvus composition of the 6 phase and not the experimentally
observed
composition of the depleted matrix of the secondary cells, the
reason being that the interaction parameter, L, was calculated
using the equilibrium
solvus composition, the minimum composition of the matrix at each temperature. Using the experimentally observed composition of the matrix of the secondary
cells in the calculation hardly mattered as the difference in
AC: turned out to be less than 1 J mol-. From the experimentally observed growth rates, interlamellar
spacings and
calculated free energies, the diffusivity was calculated at each
temperature and is shown in Fig. 7. The diffusivity values for
the primary cell growth are also shown in Fig. 7 for comparison.
The diffusivities for the secondary cell growth are less than an
order of magnitude smaller than those observed for the primary
cell growth but approximately seven orders of magnitude higher
than volume diffusivity for chemical diffusion in Mg-Al alloys.
The activation energy as determined from the best straight
line drawn through the points is 120 kJ mol-, which is quite
comparable to the result obtained for the primary cell growth
using the theory of Petermann and Hornbogen [ 171. It is therefore concluded that the growth of secondary cells also occurs
by transport of solute along the cell boundaries.

Q. M. AMIR

and S. P GUPTA:

Petermann

and

CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

AND

PRECIPITATE

Hornbogen

4.50

1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

1000/T,
Fig. 7. Diffusivity

vs I/Tfor

49

COARSENING

2.1

550

600

T, K
2.2

2.3

Fig. 8. Free energy

K-

the secondary

I
500

cellular

vs temperature

of aging.

reaction

boundary migration
lowing relationship:
Examination of the free energies for the growth of secondary
cells (Table 2) reveals that chemical free energies remaining
after the primary cell growth are negligibly small. The major
contribution
to the driving force for the growth of secondary
cells stems from differences in interfacial energies associated
with the primary and secondary cells. The Livingston and Cahn
[31] model of discontinuous
coarsenmg of the primary cells
proposes the difference in interfacial energies associated with
the primary and secondary cells as the driving force. The secondary cell growth kinetics are, therefore, analyzed using the
theory of Livingston and Cahn [31]. Accordingly, the diffusivity
is related to the growth rate, vL, and mterlamellar spacings, S,
and S,, by the following relation :

is related to the mobility,

M, by the fol-

The mobility of the cell boundary for the primary cells is shown
in Fig. 9 as a function of the reciprocal of absolute temperature.
The Arrhenius plot of Fig. 9 describes the kinetics of cellular
precipitation
quite well in the whole range of temperature. The
slope of the straight line yields an activation energy of 104 kJ
molV, which is well within the range of activation energies
obtained for the growth of primary and secondary cells from
the diffusivity vs temperature plot.

4. CONCLUSIONS

In equation (16),f: andfl are fractions of the 6 and ; phases,

respectively, and were calculated using the experimentally
observed matrix composition of the secondary cells Xt. Using
values of the different parameters in equation (16) the diffusivity was calculated at each temperature and is shown in Fig.
7. The diffusivities obtained using the Livingston and Cahn [31]
model are comparable to those obtained through the Petermann
and Hornbogen model [17]. The activation energy determined
from the best straight line drawn through the points is 90 kJ
mol- which falls within the range of values anticipated for
the grain boundary diffusion in Mg-AI alloys and activation
energies determined for the primary ceils.
3.7. Mobility qf thr grain boundary and the deicing force
The chemical free energies and the driving force for the
growth of primary and secondary cells are shown in Fig. 8. The
temperature dependence of the chemical free energies shows the
usual behavior observed in other alloy systems, in that the
chemical free energy decreases with increasing temperature of
transformation.
The analysis of the growth of cells can be extended by
assuming a mobility controlled boundary migration. The cell

A metastable. supersaturated Mg-AI alloy containing 7 at.%

Al decomposes completely by a cellular phase transformation
into a lamellar structure consisting of 6 and y phases when aged
in the temperature range from 440 to 580 K. From the boundary

10-17

1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

1000/T,

Fig. 9. Mobrfity vs IjTfor

K-

the primary cell growth.

50

Q. M. AMIR

and S. P. GUPTA:

CELLULAR

PRECIPITATION

diffusivity for both the primary and secondary cells it can be

concluded that the growth of cells occurs by solute transport
through the cell boundaries. A similar conclusion is arrived at
from the experimentally
determined activation energy considering grain boundary mobility controlled transformation.
Acknowledgements-We
are thankful
to Professor
W. Gust for providing the Mg-Al
alloy used in this investigation.
This work would not
have been possible without this help.

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