Solid solution in Al–4.5 wt% Cu produced by mechanical alloying

Mechanical alloying has been used to produce oxide dispersion strengthened alloys, intermetallic compounds, aluminium alloys and to obtain nanostructured and amorphous materials, as well as to extend the solid solution limit. In this work, Al and Cu elemental powders were subjected to high-energy milling to produce Al–4.5 wt% Cu powder alloy. The powders obtained were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), aiming to explore if the copper is present in solid solution or as small particles after high-energy milling. Related to the formation of a supersaturated solid solution, the results of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are non-conclusive: the copper could be dispersed with a very small size, undetectable to both techniques. The Al2Cu precipitation at temperatures between 160 and 230 °C, verified by DSC and XRD analyses, substantiated that mechanical alloying had produced a supersaturated solid solution of copper in aluminium. The crystallite size as a function of milling time and annealing temperature was also determined by X-ray techniques.