4.2. STRUCTURE OF ALLOYS 65 terms of the elements involved in a metal crystal structure the solute composed of solute atoms is, the element that is added to the solvent composed of host atoms . When the particular crystal structure of the solvent is maintained during alloying the alloy is called a solid solution. Substitutional Solid Solutions. — If the size of the solute atom is similar to that of the solvent atom the solute atoms can replace solvent atoms and form a substitutional solid solution see Fig. 1.9. An example is brass an alloy of zine and copper in which zine solute atom is introduced into the lattice of copper solvent atoms." The properties of brasses can thus he altered over a range by controlling the amount of zine in copper. ‘Two conditions known as Hume-Rothery rules after W. Hume-Rothery 1899 1968 are generally required to form complete substitutional solid solutions 1. The two metals must have similar crystal structures. 2. The difference in their atomic radii should be less than 15% If these conditions are not satisfied complete solid solution will not be obtained and the a- mount of solid solution formed will be limited. Interstitial Solid Solutions. If the size of the solute atom is much smaller than that of the sol- Vent atom cach solute atom can occupy an interstitial position such a process forms an interstitial solid solution. There are two conditions necessary for forming interstitial solutions 1. The solvent atom must have more than one valence. 2. The atomic radius of the solute atom must be less than 59% of the atomic radius for the at- If these conditions are not met limited interstitial solubility may take place or even none. ‘An important family of interstitial solid solutions is steel Chapter San alloy of iron and car- hon where carbon atoms are present in interstitial positions between iron atoms. ‘The atomic radius of carbon is 0,071 nm and that is less than 59% of the 0.124 nm radius of the iron atom, As we shall see the properties of carbon steels can be varied over a wide range by controlling the proportion of carbon in the iron. ‘This controllability is one reason that steel is such a versatile and useful material with a wide variety of properties and applications inexpensiveness is another. 4,2.2 Intermetallic Compounds Intermetallic compounds are complex structures consisting of two metals in which solute atoms are present among solvent atoms in certain proportions. Some intermetallic compounds have solid solubility. The type of atomic bond may range from metallic to ionic Intennetallie compounds are strong hard and brittle, Because of their high melting points and their strength at elevated temperatures their good oxidation resistance and their relatively low den- sity they are candidate materials for advanced gas-turbine engines. Typical examples are the alumi- nides of titanium Ti,Al_— nickel Ni,Al and iron Fe, Al