IMPACT TEST IN MICROSTRUCTURAL STUDIES OF CuNiSiCr ALLOYS

Abstract

One of the most used tools in the microstructural characterization of metallic alloys is the static tests. However, these tests often do not display all the information about the microstructural evolution of an industrial manufacturing process and should be complemented by impact tests. In this paper we study the kinetics of precipitation of a copper base alloy and the effects on the microstructure through impact and fracture tests. The results found indicate that the mechanism of fracture is influenced by the temperature and time of aging; While at 595°C the nature of the fracture is ductile and with a rapid hardening of the material, on the other hand at lower temperatures a mode of propagation of the ductile-fragile type fracture is observed in circumstances of a slower kinetics of precipitation and probably a morphology of different precipitates. The study of the microstructural evolution through the impact test and the fractography prove to be adequate tools to evaluate, in terms of properties, the different structural conditions resulting from a heat treatment.