A micromechanical method for predicting the precipitation hardening response of particle strengthened alloys hardened by ordered precipitates

A micromechanical method was developed for predicting the precipitation hardening response of particle strengthened alloys hardened by ordered precipitates based on the microstructure, composition, and heat treatment, and utilizing a minimum number of experimental tests to evaluate the microstructural constants of the overall model. The overall approach was based on incorporating the dislocation particle interaction mechanics, particle growth and coarsening theory, thermodynamics, and particle strengthening mechanisms applicable to precipitation hardened alloys as part of the overall micromechanical method. The method/model evaluates, from a minimum number of experimental tensile tests, microstructural constants necessary in determining the precipitation srengthening response of a particle strengthened alloy. The materials that were used as vehicles to demonstrate and evaluate the model were precipitation hardenable aluminium-lithium-zirconium and nickel-aluminum alloys. Utilizing these demonstration alloys, the method used a total of four tensile tests to evaluate the necessary microstructural constants and thus predict the variation in strength as a function of aging time, aging temperature, and composition, for the underaged, the peak-aged, and the overaged conditions. Predictions of the precipitation strengthening response were made incorporating the Wagner particle distribution model to evaluate the size distributions of particles in the microstructures. The predicted variation of strength with aging practice and composition using the Wagner distribution model compared well with the corresponding experimental yield strength results.