Eutectoid Al-51at%Zn Alloy Studied by Isothermal Mechanical Spectroscopy

sothermal mechanical spectroscopy measurements were performed in an Al-51 at % Zn alloy at various temperatures below and above the eutectoid transition temperature: during a heating the α-β eutectoid mixture changes into α solid solution at 550 K. Damping experiments were performed in a very large frequency range (10-5– 50 Hz) between room temperature and 673 K. Internal friction spectra performed between 200 K and 540 K, exhibit two thermally activated relaxation peaks (P1 and P2). P1 decreases and disappears with the increase of measurement temperature while P2 appears and increases. P2 totally disappears above the eutectoid transition temperature. Above 550 K, a new peak (P3) is evidenced at very low frequency. The relaxation parameters of P3 (limit relaxation time τ0 = 9×10-7 and activation energy H = 105 kJ/mole (1.1 eV)) allow to associate this peak with the motion of sub grain boundaries. P1 and P2 (τ0 ≈ 10-7 and H ≈ 70 kJ/mole (0.75 eV) for both peaks) are associated with a thermally induced atom diffusion across the α-β interface.