Precipitation strengthening in aluminum-zirconium-vanadium alloys

Atom probe tomography (APT) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to study the co-precipitation and coarsening mechanisms of Al3(Zr1-x,Vx) precipitates formed in Al-Zr-V alloys. The strengthening mechanism that is operative in properly aged Al-Zr-V alloys are determined, and the antiphase boundary (APB) energy between the α-Al matrix and the Al3Zr precipitates and between the α-Al matrix and the Al3(Zr1-x,Vx) precipitates is indirectly determined.