MICROSTRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF RAPIDLY SOLIDIFIED CU-NI-SN ALLOYS

Rapid solidification (RS) by melt spinning of CuNiSn alloys rendered more chemically homogeneous materials beneficial to mechanical strengthening. The structure was microcrystalline and manifested none of the tin segregation evident in conventionally cast alloys. Although there was microsegregation of tin in the form of γ precipitates at the grain boundaries of rapidly solidified ribbons, their degree of segregation was significantly reduced. Age hardening increased with tin (by spinodal decomposition) and nickel (by alloy hardening) content of the alloy. Solid solubility of tin in a high tin content alloy otherwise unattainable by conventional methods was achieved by RS. © 1990.