Composition: Cu-42%Zn.

Processing: Sand casting, annealing (800ºC-1h) and water quenching.

Etching: 30 s immersion in FeCl₃ alcoholic solution.

X11 has the same composition as X10 specimen. During annealing at 800ºC there is atomic diffusion and dissolution of the α phase occurs. At this point the alloy is monophasic (β phase) and columnar grains evolve into relatively large equiaxial grains. Then, fast cooling or quenching preserves this microstructure consisting of large equiaxial grains of β phase supersatured in Cu. Despite the limited diffusion during quenching, some grain boundaries show precipitation of the α phase with a Widmanstätten-type structure along specific planes in the β phase grains.

Cu-Zn diagram

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