Ageing of Alloys and Precipitation | Age Hardening | Metallurgy
The decomposition of SSSS during ageing is usually a complex process. The equilibrium precipitate, θ, normally does not form directly from the SSSS at commonly used ageing temperatures, because the nucleation barrier for its formation is too high (i.e., large energy is needed because of the surface energy required to create the surface of the critical-sized precipitate). The precipitation occurs [...]