In this study, four composites with different ZrB₂ content were made by the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS/FAST) technique. The sintering process was carried out at 1373 K for 5 min under an argon atmosphere. The effect of ZrB₂ reinforcing phase content on the density, microstructure, and mechanical and tribological properties of composites was investigated. The results were compared with experimental data obtained for 316L austenitic stainless steel without the reinforcing phase. The results showed that the ZrB₂ content significantly affected the tested properties. With the increasing content of the ZrB₂ reinforcing phase, there was an increase in the Young’s modulus and hardness and an improvement in the abrasive wear resistance of sintered composites. In all composites, new fine precipitates were formed and distributed in the steel matrix and along the grain boundaries. Microstructural analysis (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Wavelength Dispersive Spectroscopy (WDS)) has revealed that the fine precipitates chromium contained chromium as well as boron.

This study reports the results of archaeometallurgical investigations performed on a complete two-part bronze casting mould discovered in the village of Elgiszewo (north Poland). The mould was part of the so-called Lusatian founder’s hoard deposited on the southern borders of the Chełmno group territory between 900 and 700 BC. The investigations involved the employment of spectral (ED XRF, SEM-EDS, X-ray)and microscopic (SEM-EDS, OM) analyses. The experimental casting of the model mould and socketed axe was carried out in this study as well. The chemical composition of the mould indicates the use of fire-refined (oxidized) fahlore scrap bronze, which could originally be composed of North Tyrolean copper fahlores. The metallographic results furthermore indicate deliberate tin abandonment by the Lusatian metalworker to maintain a thermal resistance of the mould during direct metal casting. Having analysed the results of the performed research, we can state that the mould from Elgiszewo was capable of ensuring direct casting and was in fact used by the Lusatian metalworkers for this purpose before the mould was finally deposited.

One of the most interesting categories of artifacts for archaeometallurgical research includes deposits of bronze items, so-called “metallurgists hoards”. They contain, aside of final products, many fragments of raw material and, moreover, metallurgical tools. An important source for the studies on the history of metallurgical technology is hoard from Przybysław, Greater Poland district. Thus, the aim of the work is the identification and interpretation of bronze-working practices and strategies adopted by prehistoric communities of the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age (ca. 600 BC). The examined objects are characterized in terms of their design, structure, and chemical composition. The methods chosen for the studies of artifacts include: metallographic macro- and microscopic observations using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the analysis of chemical composition with the methods of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF). The thermodynamic analysis of the alloys was performed on the basis of the CALPHAD method. The experimental melts allowed to verify the theoretical considerations and to determine the characteristic temperatures of changes. The old casting technology can be analyzed basing on computer modeling and computer simulation methods. Simulations in the MAGMASOFT® software are a good example to illustrate how to fill a mould cavity with a molten bronze for a hoop ornament. It is also an appropriate tool to determine temperature distribution in a mould. The simulations also show the possible disadvantages with this old technology.

In this paper, the results from studies regarding near-eutectic Al-Si alloys with Sn as an alloying addition are presented. In most Al-Si alloys, tin is regarded as a contaminant; thus, its amount is limited to up to 0.3 wt.%. The few studies that can be found in the literature regarding the behaviour of tin in aluminium alloys suggest the beneficial effect of this element on selected properties. However, these results were obtained for hypereutectic Al-Si alloys or wrought aluminium alloys. In our studies, the influence of tin contents of up to 1.7 wt.% was determined on the AlSi10 alloy. Thermal analysis, measurements of the mechanical properties of the cast and heat-treated alloy, metallographic observations (light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy), and EDS (X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry) measurement allowed us to fully describe the effect of tin on the aluminium alloy. The results of the thermal analysis showed changes in the range of the α-Al solution crystallisation and the α+β eutectic through a decrease in the alloy’s solidification start point and eutectic solidification point. As a result, the elongation of the alloy was more than double in the AlSi10Sn1.7 alloy, with an A5 value of 8.1% and a tensile strength that was above 200 MPa.

A comprehensive programme of archaeometric research into the chemical composition and manufacturing technology of Early Iron Age artefacts discovered in Świbie, Upper Silesia, has yielded a number of detailed observations and findings. Sixty-six artefacts from a collection of several hundred large bronzes were targeted for study. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with micro-area composition analysis were used. In selected cases, non-destructive analysis was carried out by digital X-ray radiography. The study was preceded by macroscopic observation of the artefacts. It was shown that most of the large ring ornaments were made from castings subsequently subjected to numerous forging (reforging and shaping) and finishing treatments. Some of the wares, such as the massive ankle rings, retained many of the characteristics of the original cast, indicating that the finishing treatment was only applied when necessary due to the nature of the product (e.g. visual qualities). Decoration was applied using various techniques, often used in combination with each other (e.g. designing a decoration on a wax model and correcting it on the finished product). It was demonstrated that the characteristic constrictions found on the inside of the massive twisted-bar ankle rings of the Upper Silesia and Sącz (Stary Sącz) types could not be the effect of wear and tear, but evidence of intentional reforging, most likely aimed at creating a place to attach an organic strap to fix the ornament in place on the leg. The research has also identified a new category of imports from the circum-Alpine or Mediterranean areas, namely necklaces with a hooked clasp. The extraordinarily precise ornamental technique observed on the necklace, long known in the literature, from grave 102 (in which other imported luxury goods were also found), required the use of a tool in the type of a tap or a threader, and it has never before been identified in an Early Iron Age context in Poland. Above all, however, these studies made it possible to answer the research questions regarding the sample. The first question concerned the raw material and technological variation of the collection across functional and stylistic categories: Did the objects produced and/or used by the population using the cemetery differ in chemical composition of the alloy and manufacturing technique according to function or style? Although the raw material composition was quite similar for the majority of the artefacts (classic Cu-Sn tin bronze), it emerged that some of them had a slightly different composition, most notably an elevated lead content (above 1.5%, exceptionally up to 9.5%), and that this was not coincidental. More often than not, these objects, such as the necklace from grave 217 or the openwork knife handle fitting from grave 495, demanded castings that, due to their small thickness in the mould, required a special alloy with improved castability. This was not required with massive bronzes or those meant for forging sheet metal for the production of coiled ornaments ; these wares are usually characterised by a low proportion of intentionally added lead as an alloying component. No such consistency can be seen in the manufacture of small ornaments such as buttons or spiral pendants, presumably produced on a day-to-day basis from currently available raw material or from recycled raw material. A satisfactory answer was also obtained to the second main question: Whether it was practised to furnish the deceased with sets uniform in style and raw material (possibly including objects produced especially for the funerary ceremony), or whether the objects amassed in the grave were made from raw material from different sources and at different stages of the buried person’s life. Proceeding from a comparison of all the bronzes from three rich burials (graves 102, N=11; 124, N=12; 574, N=9), it was concluded that they were certainly not furnished with complete ceremonial costumes prepared by one workshop, from one batch of raw material. The only objects that they can be considered sets in terms of both style and workshop are pairs of large bronzes (such as ankle rings or massive bracelets), which were most often made from a homogeneous raw material and probably functioned together from manufacture to deposition in the grave. In the group of small bronzes, this contextual approach (as well as the functional one) confirmed a greater range of raw material patterns.

The paper presents the results of experimental investigations of the heat generation and microstructure evolution during the friction stir processing (FSP) of the SnSb11Cu6 alloy. The Triflute tool was used for modification; the process was carried out using two rotational speeds of the tool: 280 and 560 RPM and a constant linear speed of 355 mm/min. Microstructure studies were performed employing the techniques of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy along with analysis of the chemical composition of micro-areas. Additionally, the phase composition was investigated by means of the X-ray diffraction method, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis and hardness testing were performed before and after FSP modification. Furthermore, measurements of the temperature directly on the modified surface by means of a thermal imaging camera and the temperature in the modified zone with a thermocouple system were performed. It was proved that using FSP to modify the SnSbCu alloy promotes refinement and homogenization of the microstructure, as well as improvement of the hardness. The hardness of the starting material was 24 HB, and after FSP, the hardness increased and amounted to, respectively, 25 and 27 HB after processing at 280 and 560 RPM. The microstructure in the stir zone is formed by the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) process and consists of almost equiaxed tin-rich matrix grains with a size of approx. 5–30 µm and fine particles of Cu₆Sn₅ and SnSb phases. The temperature distribution in the FSP zone is not uniform and changes in a gradient manner.