Comparative study of spinodal decomposition in symmetric and asymmetric Cu-Ni-Cr alloys

Spinodal decomposition in three alloys of nominal compositions 71Cu-27Ni-2Cr, 45Cu-45Ni-10Cr and 33Cu-52Ni-15Cr were studied by X-ray diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the first and third alloys are asymmetric in nature while the second is symmetric. The symmetric alloy was found to decompose faster than the asymmetric ones. The asymmetry of the side bands was found to be related to the proportion of phases in the alloy. Electron microscopic studies revealed that during coarsening the major phase increases its connectivity by isolating the minor phase.