MATERIALS
Microstructure and hardness of Cu-Al-Ni-Fe alloy after precipitation hardening
Nickel aluminum bronze with the composition CuAl9Ni3Fe3 was investigated in this paper. After casting, the alloy was annealed at 900 °C followed by quenching. Thermodynamic calculation of the existing phases was performed using the ThermoCalc software. Quenched NAB samples were further aged for 1 h at 300 °C, 350 °C, and 400 °C. During the experiment, the values of hardness and microhardness were examined using standardized Vickers measurement methods. Microstructural analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer. During the precipitation hardening, β’ martensite eutectoidly decomposed into α and κ phases causing an increase in mechanical properties.