Effect of Zn addition on corrosion resistance of Cu-10Ni alloy in clean and sulphide contaminated seawater

Cu-10Ni alloy has an outstanding resistance to corrosion in seawater due to formation of protective Cu₂O film. However, in presence of S^2? ions, it suffers accelerated corrosion. The present paper investigates the corrosion behaviour of Cu-10Ni, Cu-10Ni-6Zn and Cu-10Ni-12Zn alloys using weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation technique. The experiments were performed in clean seawater and sulphide contaminated seawater. The Cu-10Ni-6Zn and Cu-10Ni-12Zn alloys were found to exhibit lower corrosion rate than Cu-10Ni alloy in clean and sulphide contaminated seawater. Lower corrosion rate of Zn containing alloys in clean seawater is attributed to the incorporation of Zn²⁺ ions in Cu₂O lattice. Lower corrosion rate of Zn containing alloys sulphide contaminated seawater is attributed to formation of ZnS in the film.     

Development of single-phased copper alloy for seawater applications: As a cost-effective substitute for Cu-10Ni alloy

Cu-10Ni alloy is a standard material for seawater application. Under Indian scenario, where half of copper and whole of Ni (and Cu-Ni) requirement is met by imports, search for a cheaper substitute is obvious. An attempt has been made to develop a single-phased copper alloy containing 10 wt% Ni, 29 wt% Zn, up to 5 wt% Mn and 1 wt% Fe as a substitute to Cu-10wt% Ni-1wt% Fe alloy. Studies on Corrosion resistance of test alloys were carried out in synthetic seawater (ASTM D 114-75) by electro-chemical methods (cathodic and anodic polarization). Corrosion product film formed on alloy containing 5wt% Mn was characterized by SEM and XRD. A film of Cu₂O was found to form on the surface of the alloy, which accords corrosion protection. The test alloys containing 29 wt% Zn and 3 or 5 wt% Mn have exhibited better corrosion resistance in synthetic seawater than Cu-10Ni alloy. The role of Mn and Zn addition has been discussed.     

Effect of zinc addition to copper in improving its corrosion resistance in sulfide polluted synthetic seawater

In an endeavor to develop a cost effective substitute of Cu-10Ni alloy for seawater application (especially for sulfide polluted seawater) few Cu-Ni-Zn-Mn alloys were developed in our laboratory. The Cu-Ni-Zn-Mn alloy was found to have better corrosion resistance than Cu-10Ni both in clean and sulfide polluted synthetic seawater. Resistance to sulfide in Synthetic Seawater was attributed to the formation of ZnS. To ensure that the resistance to sulfide attack is due to Zn alone, a series of studies were carried out with binary alloys of Cu and Zn with increasing weight percentage of Zn (12% and 36%). Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for the purpose. Polarization studies gave the corrosion data and EIS was effective in depicting the nature of corrosion product (film). It was found that among the test alloys, Cu-36Zn is most corrosion resistant in sulfide polluted seawater due to formation of ZnS in the film. As it is a binary alloy, the corrosion resistance against sulfide is attributed to Zn alone.     

Combined effect of chloride and pH on corrosion resistance of Cu-10Ni alloy

Cu-10Ni alloy is a standard heat exchanger material for saltwater (including seawater) applications owing to its excellent thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. The excellent corrosion resistance is due to formation of Cu₂O film, which accords protection. However, when varying amount of H⁺, OH^? and Cl^? ions are present, CuCl₂ ^? may also form. The CuCl₂ ^? is not protective as Cu₂O and hence corrosion resistance may be affected. Present paper investigates combined effect of chloride ion and pH on corrosion resistance of Cu-10Ni alloy. Cathodic and anodic polarization test results are presented for saltwater containing various amounts of NaCl at pH 6 and 8. It is found that, i_corr increases with increasing chloride concentration. The results are discussed using dissolution mechanisms, semi-conducting behaviour of Cu₂O film and deterioration of the film in presence of chloride ions.     

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-cast and heat-treated Al-4.5 Wt pct Cu-2.0 wt pct Mn alloys

The microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-cast and heat-treated Al-4.5 pct Cu-2.0 pct Mn alloy specimens solidified at various cooling rates were investigated. The equilibrium phases Al₆Mn and θ-Al₂Cu, which are observed in the conventionally solidified alloy in the as-cast condition, were not detected in rapidly solidified (melt-spun) material. Instead, the ternary compound Al₂₀Cu₂Mn₃ was present in addition to the α phase, which was present in all cases. The morphological and kinetic nature of corrosion was investigated metallographically and through potentiostatic techniques in 3.5 wt pct NaCl aqueous solution. Corrosion of the as-cast material was described by two anodic reactions: corrosion of the intermetallic phases and pitting of the α-Al solid solution. The corrosion rate increased with cooling rate from that for the furnace-cooled alloy to that for the copper mold-cast alloy and, subsequently, decreased in the rapidly solidified alloy. In the heat-treated material, corrosion could be described by two anodic reactions: corrosion of Al₂₀Cu₂Mn₃ precipitate particles and pitting of the α-Al matrix. S.M. Skolianos, formerly Graduate Student, Department of Metallurgy, University of Connecticut     

Damping characteristics of Ti50Ni49.5Fe0.5 and Ti50Ni40Cu10 ternary shape memory alloys

The damping characteristics of Ti₅₀Ni_49.5Fe_0.5 and Ti₅₀Ni₄₀Cu₁₀ ternary shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been systematically studied by resonant-bar testing and internal friction (IF) measurement. The damping capacities of the B19′ martensite and the B2 parent phase for these ternary alloys are higher than those for the Ti₅₀Ni₅₀ binary alloy. The lower yield stress and shear modulus of these ternary alloys are considered to be responsible for their higher damping capacity. For the same ternary alloy, the B19/B19′ martensite and R phase also have a higher damping capacity than does the B2 parent phase. In the forward transformations of B2 → R, R → 519′, and B2 → 519′ for Ti₅₀Ni₅₀ and Ti₅₀Ni_49.5Fe_0.5 alloys, the damping capacity peaks appearing in the resonant-bar test are attributed to both stress-induced transformation and stress-induced twin accommodation. The lattice-softening phenomenon can promote the stress-induced transformation and enhance the damping capacity peaks. The Ti₅₀Ni₄₀Cu₁₀ alloy had an unusually high plateau of damping capacity in the B19 martensite, which is considered to have arisen from the easy movement of twin boundaries of B19 martensite due to its inherently very low elastic modulus. The peaks appearing in the IF test for the Ti₅₀Ni₄₀Cu₁₀ alloy are mainly attributed to the thermal-induced transformation due to T ⊋ 0 during the test.     

Diffusion of titanium in copper

Interdiffusion coefficients in copper-titanium alloys have been determined by Matano's method in the temperature range between 973 and 1283 K on (pure Cu)-(Cu-1.98 at. pct Ti alloy) and (pure Cu)-(Cu-2.91 at. pct Ti alloy) couples. Temperature dependence of the impurity diffusion coefficient of titanium in copper, determined by extrapolation of the concentration dependence of the interdiffusion coefficient to zero mole fraction of titanium, is expressed by the following Arrhenius equation along with the probable errors:D _Ti/Cu=(0.693 _−0.135 ^+0.169 )×10⁻⁴exp[−(196±2)kJ mol⁻¹/RT] m²/s. The difference in the activation energies for the impurity diffusion of the 3d-transition metals and self-diffusion in copper has been calculated by applying LeClaire's model with the oscillating potential of the impurity atom in copper. The calculated values agree well with the experimental values including the present one. Kazutomo Hoshino, formerly Graduate Student, Tohoku University     

The effect of hot-rolling on chill-cast AI-AI3Ni,chill-cast AI-AI2Cu,and Unidirectionally Solidified AI-AI3Ni Eutectic Alloys

The effect of hot-rolling on the mechanical properties and microstructures of chill-cast Al-Al₃Ni, chill-cast Al-Al₂Cu, and unidirectionally solidified Al-Al₃Ni eutectic alloys has been studied. The chill-cast eutectic alloys were produced by casting into preheated mild steel molds placed on copper chills. This system promoted growth along the length of the ingot and not radially from the mold wall. Cellular microstructures resulted with good alignment of Al₃Ni fibers or Al₂Cu lamellae within the cells and an interfiber/lamellar spacing of ~ 1 /urn. In contrast, the Al-Al₃Ni eutectic alloy was also unidirectionally solidified at a growth rate of 3 x 10^-1 m s^-1 in a conventional horizontal crystal grower. This produced well-aligned Al₃Ni fibers with an interfiber spacing of 1.2 ώm. Both the unidirectionally solidified and chill-cast Al-Al₃Ni eutectic alloy can be hot-rolled at 773 K to reductions in area of greater than 95 pct. Deformation was achieved by Al₃Ni fiber fracturing followed by separation of the broken fiber fragments in the rolling direction. Additionally, for the chill-cast eutectic the cellular microstructure disappeared and the Al₃Ni fibers were homogeneously distributed throughout the matrix, after area reductions of 60 to 70 pct. In both cases, the eutectic microstructure was deformed with a constant volume fraction of Al₃Ni/unit volume being maintained during rolling. The chill-cast Al-Al₂Cu eutectic alloy can be hot-rolled at 773 K to an area reduction of ~50 pct, after the continuous brittle Al₂Cu phase within the cells has been ‘broken up’ by coarsening at high temperature. The variations of room temperature tensile properties for the chill-cast and unidirectionally solidified eutectic alloys were measured as a function of reduction of thickness during hot-rolling and the results were compared with predicted strengths from discontinuous fiber reinforcement theory. Formerly with the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Sussex University, Falmer, Brighton, BNl 9QT, Sussex, United Kingdom,     

Effect of rare earths on corrosion resistance of Cu-30Ni alloys in simulated seawater

Cu-30Ni-xRE(x=0-0.213 wt.%) alloy was prepared by adding rare earths(RE) in melted Cu-30Ni alloy using metal mould casting method.The effects of RE on corrosion resistance of the alloy in simulated seawater were investigated using optical microscope,scanning electronic microscope with energy-dispersive spectrometer and electrochemical measurement system.The results showed that the corrosion resistance of Cu-30Ni alloy was greatly improved by adding proper amount of RE,whereas excess addition of RE worsened ...     

Solubility of hydrogen in liquid Fe−Co−Ni alloys

The solubility of hydrogen in the Fe−Co−Ni ternary has been determined by the Sieverts' method over the temperature range 1500° to 1700°C. The solubility of hydrogen at 1600°C and 1 atm hydrogen pressure is 0.00264 wt pct in iron, 0.00224 wt pct in cobalt, and 0.00448 wt pct in nickel. Hydrogen follows Sieverts' law for all alloy compositions. The solubility surface rises smoothly from the Fe−Co binary to the nickel corner of the ternary, and when expressed as the free energy of hydrogen solution the surface is planar. The enthalpy of hydrogen solution is 8.0 kcal per g-atom H in iron, 8.5 kcal per g-atom H in cobalt, and 5.2 kcal per g-atom H in nickel and is planar for the entire ternary. Interaction parameters with hydrogen for Al, Cu, and Mn were established: ɛ _H ^Al =2.0, ɛ _H ^Cu , and ɛ _H ^Mn and are constant for the entire Fe−Co−Ni ternary. This paper is based on a portion of a thesis submitted by R. G. BLOSSEY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Michigan.     

Phase transformations in a Cu-14.2Al-7.8Ni alloy

In the as-quenched condition, the microstructure of the Cu-14.2 wt pct Al-7.8 wt pct Ni alloy was D0₃ phase containing extremely fine L-J precipitates with two variants. The L-J precipitate has an orthorhombic structure with lattice parameters a=0.413 nm, b=0.254 nm and c=0.728 nm, which was a new phase found firstly by the present workers. The orientation relationship between the L-J phase and the matrix is (100)_L-J//(0 1) _m , (010)_L-J//(1 ) _m and (001)_L-J//(211) _m . The rotation axis and rotation angle between two variants of the L-J phase are [021] and 90 deg. When the alloy was aged at 500 °C for short times and then quenched, γ ₂ particles started to precipitate within the D0₃ matrix at the aging temperature and the remaining D0₃ matrix would transform to γ ₁′ martensite during quenching. This is similar to that observed by other workers in a Cu-14Al-4Ni alloy. However, when the alloy was aged at 500 °C for longer times, the remaining D0₃ matrix would transform to a mixture of (B2+α) phases. This feature has never been observed by other workers in the Cu-Al-Ni alloys.     

The corrosion of lead anodes in copper electrowinning

The steady-state corrosion rate of 0.4 pct As-10 pct Sb-Pb anodes in H₂SO₄ copper electro-winning electrolytes was studied. The corrosion rate increases markedly with increasing acid strength and current density, although the corrosion per pound of copper electrowon is affected only slightly by current density. Several ions such as Cu⁺², Mg⁺², Al⁺³, SiO₃ ^-2 and Na+ have no effect on the corrosion while Fe+S and Ni+2 ions have moderate inhibiting effects. Strong corrosion inhibition is brought about by introducing small amounts of Co*2 into the solution or by substituting a Ca-Pb alloy for the conventional antimonial lead anodes.     

Precipitation processes in Al-Cu-Mg alloys microalloyed with Si

Microalloying additions of Si are known to increase significantly the response to age hardening of 2xxx series Al-Cu-Mg alloys, and commercial alloys such as 2618 are based on this effect. Previous work has attributed this effect to a refined dispersion of S′ or S phase (Al₂CuMg) precipitates. This work reports the results of a detailed microstructural characterization, employing transmission electron microscopy-based techniques, on the effects of Si additions to a base Al-2.5Cu-1.5Mg (wt pct) alloy. It was found that the peak hardness microstructure contains a fine and uniform dispersion of Si-modified Guinier-Preston-Bagaratsky (GPB) zones. These zones are lath shaped, possessing {100} _α facets, elongated along 〈100〉 _α directions and contain Si. The S phase was also observed at peak hardness, although it is concluded that these precipitates do not contribute significantly to hardening due to their coarse dispersion, which arises from their heterogeneous nucleation on the quenched-in defect structure. Overaging was associated with the replacement of the zones by the S phase through a process involving dissolution and reprecipitation together with heterogeneous nucleation of S at the zones. The precipitation of ϑ′ (Al₂Cu) and σ(Al₅Cu₆Mg₂) phase was also observed in alloys containing ≥0.5 wt pct Si. It is demonstrated that the total solute content of the alloy has a major influence on the precipitation reactions during aging.     

The diffusivity of oxygen in liquid copper-lead alloys

The oxygen diffusivity in liquid copper-lead alloys at 1403 K (1130‡C) was measured us-ing the electrochemical cell: Ni-NiOJZrO₂(+CaO)/O in liquid Cu-Pb alloy(I)/ZrO₂(+CaO)/O in liquid Cu-Pb alloy(II). Oxygen in liquid Cu-Pb alloy(I) was transferred to the right by applying a preselected voltage between the two liquid Cu-Pb alloys. The oxygen diffusivity in liquid Cu-Pb alloy(I) was calculated from the emf change with time between the Ni-NiO and liquid Cu-Pb alloy (I) electrodes. The results were: D_o (in pure Cu) = 8.14 (^+0.70 _-0.43) × 10⁵ cm²/s, D_o (in Cu-25 at. pct Pb) = 11.4(^+0.4 _-0.6) × 10^-5 cm²/s, D_o (in Cu-50 at. pct Pb) = 12.9(^+1.9 _-1.5) × 10^-5 cm²/s, D_o (in Cu-75 at. pct Pb) = 11.0(^+2.4 _-1.2) x 10^-5 cm²/s, D_o (in pure Pb) = 26.3(^+4.8 _-3.7) × 10^-5 cm²/s. It was found that the oxygen diffusivity in liquid copper-lead alloys did not change dras-tically over the entire composition range, in contrast with that reported by other investi-gators for liquid copper-nickel alloys. The oxygen diffusivity in pure liquid lead agreed with the results of our previous work using an FeO-Fe₃O₄ mixture as a sink for oxygen.     

Nitrogen solubility in complex liquid Fe−Cr−Ni alloys

Measurements of nitrogen solubility were performed in a series of liquid iron-chromium-nickel alloys near the composition of the commercial superalloy INCOLOY^* 800 (I:21 pct Cr, 33 pct Ni, bal. Fe). This work was carried out at 1450 to 1600°C and up to one atmosphere of nitrogen gas pressure. Sieverts' law was obeyed by nitrogen in all the alloys. Changes were observed in the compositions of all the melts studied, mainly due to the chromium loss by volatilization. These changes necessitated nitrogen solubility measurements in a series of alloys immediately surrounding alloy I. The experimental results have been prepared as a regression polynomial equation for the logarithm of nitrogen solubility as a function of temperature and reported weight percentages of chromium and nickel in the alloys. The standard Gibbs free energy of nitrogen solution in a region around alloy I is given as ΓG ^o=−58,700+48.20T Joules/g atom N. At 1600°C, the temperature coefficient of nitrogen solubility in I is −2.65×10⁻⁴ pct N/K. The shape of a portion, of the nitrogen solubility surface for the Fe−Cr−Ni system near to alloy I at 1600°C is defined.     

Investigation of the Effects of Ni, Fe, and Mn on the Formation of Complex Intermetallic Compounds in Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni Alloys

The aim of this work is to partially substitute Fe and Mn for Ni in the 3HA piston alloy and to study the consequences through microstructural evaluation and the thermal analysis technique. Three types of near-eutectic alloys containing (2.6 wt pct Ni-0.2 wt pct Fe-0.1 wt pct Mn), (1.8 wt pct Ni-0.75 wt pct Fe-0.3 wt pct Mn), and (1 wt pct Ni-1.15 wt pct Fe-0.6 wt pct Mn) were produced, and their solidification was studied at the cooling rate of 0.9 K/s (°C/s) using the computer-aided thermal analysis technique. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the microstructure of the samples, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was used to identify the composition of the phases. Also, the quantity of the phases was measured using the image analysis technique. The results show that Ni mainly participates as Al₃Ni, Al₉FeNi, and Al₃CuNi phases in the high Ni-containing alloy (2.6 wt pct Ni). In addition, substitution of Ni by Fe and Mn makes Al₉FeNi the only Ni-rich phase, and Al₁₂(Fe,Mn)₃Si₂ appears as an important Fe-rich intermetallic compound in the alloys with the higher Fe and Mn contents.     

晶粒细化对Cu-40Ni合金在酸性含Cl-介质中耐蚀性能的影响

采用电弧熔炼（CA）和机械合金化（MA）通过热压烧结工艺制备了晶粒尺寸差别较大的Cu-40Ni合金，借助于PARM273A和M5210电化学综合测量仪，利用动电位扫描法和交流阻抗技术对比研究了上述合金在酸性含Cl^-介质中的腐蚀电化学性能以及腐蚀机制。结果表明：两种合金的腐蚀电位随时间逐渐稳定，在中性Na2SO4溶液中加入H2SO4和NaCl后，两种合金的自腐蚀电位负移；晶粒细化后，两种合金的自腐蚀电位则正移。两种合金在中性及酸性含Cl^-介质中均存在钝化现象，但在酸性含Cl^-介质中钝化区间很短，钝化能力较弱。两种合金的交流阻抗谱均由单容抗弧组成，反应由电化学过程控制。晶粒细化后，合金中存在大量晶界，参与腐蚀反应的活性原子数增加，促使MACu40Ni合金的腐蚀速度高于CACu-40Ni合金。     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of ternary intermetallic compound dispersed P/M Al-Mn-X-Zr (x=Cu,Ni) alloys

Heat-resistant aluminum alloys are generally developed by dispersing stable intermetallic compounds by adding transition metals (TM) whose diffusion coefficient in aluminum alloys is low even at high temperatures. Commonly used intermetallic compounds include Al-TM binary intermetallic compounds, for example, Al₆Fe, Al₃Ti and Al₃Ni. By contrast, multicomponent intermetallic compounds are hardly used. The present study focuses on Al-Mn-Cu and Al-Mn-Ni ternary intermetallic compounds, and by finely dispersing these intermetallic compounds, attempts to develop heat-resistant alloys. Through the atomization method, Al-(4.96–5.96)Mn-(6.82–7.53)Cu-0.4Zr and Al-(5.48–8.76)Mn-(2.23–4.32)Ni-0.4Zr (in mass%) powders were fabricated, and by degassing these powders at 773 K, intermetallic compounds were precipitated. These powders were then solidified into extrudates by hot extrusion at 773 K. The microstructural characterization of powders and exrudates was carried out by XRD analysis, SEM/EDX and TEM. The mechanical properties of extrudates were determined at room temperature, 523 K and 573 K. In Al-Mn-Cu alloys, while a small amount of Al₂Cu was crystallized, precipitated Al₂₀Mn₃Cu₂ intermetallic compounds were mainly dispersed. In Al-Mn-Ni alloys, while a small amount of Al₆Mn intermetallic compounds was precipitated, the precipitated A₆₀Mn₁₁Ni₄ intermetallic compounds were mainly dispersed. Both ternary intermetallic compounds were about 200 nm in size. The compounds were elliptical, and their longitudinal direction was oriented along the extrusion direction. In the Al-Mn-Cu alloys, since the work hardening at room temperature was high, the tensile strength became 569 MPa. At elevated temperatures, since hardly any work hardening was observed, the tensile strength decreased markedly. However, in Al-Mn-Ni alloys, since the work hardening is low even at room temperature, the roomtemperature strength is not high. Thus, the decrease in tensile strength at elevated temperatures is relatively small and a high strength was obtained at 523 K and 573 K: 276 MPa and 207 MPa, respectively.     

Oxygen potentials in Ni + NiO and Ni + Cr2O3 + NiCr2O4 systems

The chemical potential of O for the coexistence of Ni + NiO and Ni + Cr₂O₃ + NiCr₂O₄ equilibria has been measured employing solid-state galvanic cells, (+) Pt, Cu + Cu₂O // (Y₂O₃)ZrO₂ // Ni + NiO, Pt (-) and (+) Pt, Ni + NiO // (Y₂O₃)ZrO₂ // Ni + Cr₂O₃ + NiCr₂O₄, Pt (-) in the temperature range of 800 to 1300 K and 1100 to 1460 K, respectively. The electromotive force (emf) of both the cells was reversible, reproducible on thermal cycling, and varied linearly with temperature. For the coexistence of the two-phase mixture of Ni + NiO, δΜ_{O 2}(Ni + NiO) = −470,768 + 171.77T (±20) J mol⁻¹ (800 ≤T ≤ 1300 K) and for the coexistence of Ni + Cr₂O₃ + NiCr₂O₄, δΜ_{O 2}(Ni + Cr₂O₃ + NiCr₂O₄) = −523,190 + 191.07T (±100) J mol⁻¹ (1100≤ T≤ 1460 K) The “third-law” analysis of the present results for Ni + NiO gives the value of ‡H ₂₉₈ ^o = -239.8 (±0.05) kJ mol⁻¹, which is independent of temperature, for the formation of one mole of NiO from its elements. This is in excellent agreement with the calorimetric enthalpy of formation of NiO reported in the literature.     

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of spray-deposited Al-Cu-Mg(-Ag-Mn) alloys

The effect of alloy composition on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of four spray-deposited Al-Cu-Mg(-Ag-Mn) alloys was investigated. Precipitation kinetics for the alloys was determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and artificial aging studies coupled with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. DSC/TEM analysis revealed that the spray-deposited alloys displayed similar precipitation behavior to that found in previously published studies on ingot alloys, with the Ag containing alloys exhibiting the presence of two peaks corresponding to precipitation of both Ω-Al₂Cu and θ′-Al₂Cu and the Ag-free alloy exhibiting only one peak for precipitation of θ′. The TEM analysis of each of the Ag-containing alloys revealed increasing amounts of Al₂₀Mn₃Cu₂ with increasing Mn. In the peak and over-aged conditions, Ag-containing alloys revealed the presence of Ω, with some precipitation of θ′ for alloys 248 and 251. Tensile tests on each of the alloys in the peak-aged and overaged (1000 hours at 160 °C) conditions were performed at both room and elevated temperatures. These tests revealed that the peak-aged alloys exhibited relatively high stability up to 160 °C, with greater reductions in strength being observed at 200 °C (especially for the high Mn, low Cu/Mg ratio (6.7) alloy 251). The greatest stability of tensile strength following extended exposure at 160 °C was exhibited by the high Cu/Mg ratio (14) alloy 248, which revealed reductions in yield strength of about 2.5 pct, with respect to the peak-aged condition, for the alloys tested at both room temperature and 160 °C.