Plastic deformation of θ ' in Al-4%Cu alloy

deformation behavior of Al-Cu alloys aged to contain θ ' has been the subject of many investigations (e.g., Ref. 1-5). Since θ ' is strong and hard, dislocations bypass θ ' plates (Orowan mechanism) at low strains. However, at high strains the partially coherent θ ' plates are probably sheared, although the mechanism is complex, depending on the form of deformation. Particularly, the cyclic straining of the bulk alloy is known to produce gross bends and twists of θ '. However, no detailed investigation of the deformation of θ ' has yet been reported; moreover, Calabrese and Laird interpreted the deformation of θ ' as largely being elastic.During an investigation of high temperature cyclic deformation, the detailed electron-microscopic observation revealed that, under reversed straining conditions, θ ' particles are severely distorted--bent and twisted depending on the local matrix constraint. A typical electronmicrograph, showing the twist is shown in Fig. 1. In order to establish whether the deformation is elastic or plastic, a sample from a specimen cycled at room temperature was heated inside the microscope and the results are presented in a series of micrographs (Fig. 2a-e).