Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy

Age-hardenable Al-Mg-Si alloys are widely used in engineering applications but still lack precise, quantitative insights into their precipitation behavior. In this study, we employed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to systematically investigate a typical Al-Mg-Si alloy under different aging co...

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Main Authors: Wangshu Zheng, Yifan Han, Lipeng Ding, Zhihong Jia, Lei Zhao, Ganting Yang, Yuyang Liu, Xuyang Feng, Haibiao Zheng, Yubin Ke, Qiang Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Next Materials
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825001121
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author Wangshu Zheng
Yifan Han
Lipeng Ding
Zhihong Jia
Lei Zhao
Ganting Yang
Yuyang Liu
Xuyang Feng
Haibiao Zheng
Yubin Ke
Qiang Guo
author_facet Wangshu Zheng
Yifan Han
Lipeng Ding
Zhihong Jia
Lei Zhao
Ganting Yang
Yuyang Liu
Xuyang Feng
Haibiao Zheng
Yubin Ke
Qiang Guo
author_sort Wangshu Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Age-hardenable Al-Mg-Si alloys are widely used in engineering applications but still lack precise, quantitative insights into their precipitation behavior. In this study, we employed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to systematically investigate a typical Al-Mg-Si alloy under different aging conditions, complemented by site-specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Our results identify a clear precipitation sequence—Guinier-Preston (GP) zones → β'' → U2—and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through precipitation thermodynamics and kinetics. Both SANS and TEM measurements showed excellent agreement in precipitate size and volume fraction, offering valuable new perspectives on the precipitation kinetics of Al-Mg-Si alloys.
format Article
id doaj-art-9be97ab751a94dab9353bd9b253367a3
institution DOAJ
issn 2949-8228
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Next Materials
spelling doaj-art-9be97ab751a94dab9353bd9b253367a32025-08-20T02:51:38ZengElsevierNext Materials2949-82282025-07-01810059410.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100594Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopyWangshu Zheng0Yifan Han1Lipeng Ding2Zhihong Jia3Lei Zhao4Ganting Yang5Yuyang Liu6Xuyang Feng7Haibiao Zheng8Yubin Ke9Qiang Guo10State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR ChinaState Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR ChinaKey Laboratory for Light-weight Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR ChinaKey Laboratory for Light-weight Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR ChinaState Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China; Corresponding authors.State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR ChinaState Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR ChinaState Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR ChinaInstitute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, PR ChinaInstitute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, PR China; Corresponding author at: Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China; Corresponding authors.Age-hardenable Al-Mg-Si alloys are widely used in engineering applications but still lack precise, quantitative insights into their precipitation behavior. In this study, we employed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to systematically investigate a typical Al-Mg-Si alloy under different aging conditions, complemented by site-specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Our results identify a clear precipitation sequence—Guinier-Preston (GP) zones → β'' → U2—and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through precipitation thermodynamics and kinetics. Both SANS and TEM measurements showed excellent agreement in precipitate size and volume fraction, offering valuable new perspectives on the precipitation kinetics of Al-Mg-Si alloys.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825001121Small angle neutron scattering (SANS)Aluminum alloysPrecipitation behaviorPhase transformationThermodynamics and kinetics
spellingShingle Wangshu Zheng
Yifan Han
Lipeng Ding
Zhihong Jia
Lei Zhao
Ganting Yang
Yuyang Liu
Xuyang Feng
Haibiao Zheng
Yubin Ke
Qiang Guo
Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
Next Materials
Small angle neutron scattering (SANS)
Aluminum alloys
Precipitation behavior
Phase transformation
Thermodynamics and kinetics
title Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
title_full Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
title_fullStr Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
title_full_unstemmed Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
title_short Direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering Al-Mg-Si alloy: A study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
title_sort direct quantification of precipitation behavior in engineering al mg si alloy a study using complementary small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy
topic Small angle neutron scattering (SANS)
Aluminum alloys
Precipitation behavior
Phase transformation
Thermodynamics and kinetics
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825001121
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