Temporary embrittlement followed by increase in ductility after gallium penetration in cold rolled aluminium

Penetration of liquid metals into solid metals and liquid metal embrittlement

“…However, embrittlement is also reported to occur even if the liquid metal is removed from the solid metal surface before stressing [1]. For solid aluminum-liquid gallium couple, which is one of the well-known solid metal-liquid metal couples that exhibit LME, rapid penetration of liquid Ga into grain boundaries of Al has been confirmed by radiotracer technique [2], by TEM observation [3][4][5] and by synchrotron radiation microtomography [6], and liquid metal in grain boundaries is considered to induce embrittlement [7,8]. Importance of penetration of liquid metal during LME process has also been pointed out for other couples [9][10][11].…”

Ductile-to-brittle transition for the aluminum alloy contacting to liquid gallium metal

“…Marya et al also demonstrated that cold-rolled aluminum was brittle immediately after contact with Ga, but as the hold time increased, the embrittlement disappeared, and the ductility increased. Additionally, the time of the transition from brittle-to-ductile behavior for the sample with higher Ga content exceeded that of the sample with lower Ga content, such as that with 1% Ga for which the transition time was 25 h, while the sample with 5% Ga had a transition time of 150 h [11]. In their experiment, gallium was deposited on the tensile samples.…”

“…Intergranular fracture of Al alloy did not occur when the amount of Ga in contact with the tensile sample was less than a critical value, even though the samples were placed at 25 • C for a long time (7 days). Marya and Wyon [11] found that the tensile strength of cold-rolled aluminum samples fell as the Ga content increased. This result was similar to that obtained in this and other LME studies [6,11,12].…”

“…Marya and Wyon [11] found that the tensile strength of cold-rolled aluminum samples fell as the Ga content increased. This result was similar to that obtained in this and other LME studies [6,11,12]. Marya et al also demonstrated that cold-rolled aluminum was brittle immediately after contact with Ga, but as the hold time increased, the embrittlement disappeared, and the ductility increased.…”

Transitory Embrittlement of Polycrystalline Silver by Liquid Gallium

“…In the case of AlGa, the Al specimen becomes ductile if it is maintained above 320 K for several tens of hours, depending on the amount of Ga. An intermetallic compound phase does not exist between Al and Ga, and the recovery occurs as Ga atoms at the grain boundaries diffuse into the grains. 17) Beal et al 18,19) studied the embrittlement of steel by liquid Zn at 1020 K, and suggest that the formation of an intermetallic compound induces recovery from LME. In the AgGa system, recovery from LME is also induced by the formation of an intermetallic compound.…”