Effect of in-situ nanoparticle wall on inhibiting segregation of tin bronze alloy

• Tin segregation in cast Cu–10Sn–2Zn-1.5Fe-0.5Co (wt%) alloy was greatly reduced.
• This is due to the effect of iron-rich nanoparticles pre-precipitated in the melt.
• In-situ nanoparticle wall model was proposed to interpret the effect.
• This work presented a potential way for inhibiting segregation during casting.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray scatter (SAXS) and atom probe tomography (APT) were combined to characterize the change of δ phase microstructure under the effect of in-situ iron-rich nanoparticles. In-situ nanoparticle wall model was proposed to elucidate the effect of high density of iron-rich nanoparticles on inhibiting tin segregation which causes δ phase formation. This work sheds light on a potential pathway for fabricating bulk homogenous materials during casting process.