Atomic-Scale Modelling of Solid-state Precipitation in Aluminium Alloys

Aluminium is the second most used metal today, owing to its relatively low density, good corrosion resistance, as well as high electrical and thermal conductivities. While conventional aluminium alloys find application in cans, containers, and portable electronics, advanced high-strength aluminium alloys have been extensively used in aerospace industries. Generally, the high strength of such alloys is attributed to uniformly and densely distributed nano-scale plate-shaped precipitates in the aluminium matrix. This thesis explores a novel precipitation mechanism by combining computational and experimental techniques, constituting an initial step towards the development of high-performance aluminium alloys.