Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions

As-cast Cu-Zn components can be manufactured under a wide range of solidification conditions, reflected in varying cooling rates. While industrial processes are well-established, the relationships between grain size (GS), dendritic spacing (DS), and cooling rates in Cu-Zn alloys remain barely explor...

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Main Authors: Rodrigo André Valenzuela Reyes, Gustavo Paiva Roseiro, Guilherme Lisboa de Gouveia, José Eduardo Spinelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Metalurgia e Materiais (ABM); Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica (ABC); Associação Brasileira de Polímeros (ABPol) 2025-08-01
Series:Materials Research
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392025000100275&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Rodrigo André Valenzuela Reyes
Gustavo Paiva Roseiro
Guilherme Lisboa de Gouveia
José Eduardo Spinelli
author_facet Rodrigo André Valenzuela Reyes
Gustavo Paiva Roseiro
Guilherme Lisboa de Gouveia
José Eduardo Spinelli
author_sort Rodrigo André Valenzuela Reyes
collection DOAJ
description As-cast Cu-Zn components can be manufactured under a wide range of solidification conditions, reflected in varying cooling rates. While industrial processes are well-established, the relationships between grain size (GS), dendritic spacing (DS), and cooling rates in Cu-Zn alloys remain barely explored. Such knowledge becomes fundamental since these microstructural features significantly influence mechanical properties such as hardness. Under this context, the present study investigates the solidification behavior of a Cu-30 wt.% Zn alloy through a combination of SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, XRD, and CALPHAD (Calculation of Phase Diagrams) computation. Systematic measurements of average GS and DS have been conducted on samples solidified under unidirectional solidification (US) conditions (slow) and centrifugal casting (CC) in Cu molds (rapid cooling). The ratios between GS and DS have been analyzed and correlated with hardness variations as a function of the solidification rates. Additionally, SEM-EDS and CALPHAD analyses elucidate the formation of phases and Zn segregation patterns under varying cooling conditions. Appropriate approaches to compute cooling rates have been used so that ranges from 0.60 to 0.95 K/s, and from 15 to 47 K/s have been determined for US and CC samples respectively. These findings provide valuable insights into the microstructural evolution and mechanical property optimization of cast brass alloys.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1516-1439
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Associação Brasileira de Metalurgia e Materiais (ABM); Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica (ABC); Associação Brasileira de Polímeros (ABPol)
record_format Article
series Materials Research
spelling doaj-art-c333893fa68a4e7780daaff22f4c329b2025-08-20T03:44:13ZengAssociação Brasileira de Metalurgia e Materiais (ABM); Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica (ABC); Associação Brasileira de Polímeros (ABPol)Materials Research1516-14392025-08-012810.1590/1980-5373-mr-2025-0292Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling ConditionsRodrigo André Valenzuela Reyeshttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9160-3920Gustavo Paiva RoseiroGuilherme Lisboa de GouveiaJosé Eduardo Spinellihttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0611-1038As-cast Cu-Zn components can be manufactured under a wide range of solidification conditions, reflected in varying cooling rates. While industrial processes are well-established, the relationships between grain size (GS), dendritic spacing (DS), and cooling rates in Cu-Zn alloys remain barely explored. Such knowledge becomes fundamental since these microstructural features significantly influence mechanical properties such as hardness. Under this context, the present study investigates the solidification behavior of a Cu-30 wt.% Zn alloy through a combination of SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, XRD, and CALPHAD (Calculation of Phase Diagrams) computation. Systematic measurements of average GS and DS have been conducted on samples solidified under unidirectional solidification (US) conditions (slow) and centrifugal casting (CC) in Cu molds (rapid cooling). The ratios between GS and DS have been analyzed and correlated with hardness variations as a function of the solidification rates. Additionally, SEM-EDS and CALPHAD analyses elucidate the formation of phases and Zn segregation patterns under varying cooling conditions. Appropriate approaches to compute cooling rates have been used so that ranges from 0.60 to 0.95 K/s, and from 15 to 47 K/s have been determined for US and CC samples respectively. These findings provide valuable insights into the microstructural evolution and mechanical property optimization of cast brass alloys.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392025000100275&lng=en&tlng=enCu-ZnBrassmicrostructuregrain sizedendritic spacingsolidification
spellingShingle Rodrigo André Valenzuela Reyes
Gustavo Paiva Roseiro
Guilherme Lisboa de Gouveia
José Eduardo Spinelli
Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
Materials Research
Cu-Zn
Brass
microstructure
grain size
dendritic spacing
solidification
title Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
title_full Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
title_fullStr Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
title_full_unstemmed Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
title_short Correlations Between Cooling Rate, Dendritic Spacing and Hardness in a Brass Alloy for a Variety of Cooling Conditions
title_sort correlations between cooling rate dendritic spacing and hardness in a brass alloy for a variety of cooling conditions
topic Cu-Zn
Brass
microstructure
grain size
dendritic spacing
solidification
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392025000100275&lng=en&tlng=en
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