In Poland, researchers have a very strong interest in archaeometallurgy, which, as presented in classical works, focuses on dating artefacts

from the prehistoric and early medieval periods in the form of cast iron and copper castings. This study, extending the current knowledge,

presents the results of a microstructure investigation into the findings from the Modern era dating back to the late Middle Ages. The

investigated material was an object in the form of a heavy solid copper block weighing several kilograms that was excavated by a team of

Polish archaeologists working under the direction of Ms Iwona Młodkowska-Przepiórowska during works on the marketplace in the city of

Czestochowa during the summer of 2009. Pre-dating of the material indicates the period of the seventeenth century AD.

The solid copper block was delivered in the form of a part shaped like a bell, named later in this work as a “kettlebell”. To determine the

microstructure, the structural components, chemical composition, and homogeneity, as well as additives and impurities, investigations

were carried out using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy including analysis of the chemical composition performed in

micro-areas, and qualitative X-ray phase analysis in order to investigate the phase composition.

Interpretation of the analytical results of the material’s microstructure will also help modify and/or develop new methodological

assumptions to investigate further archaeometallurgical exhibits, throwing new light on and expanding the area of knowledge of the use

and processing of seventeenth-century metallic materials.

An attempt was made to determine phase composition of commercial aluminium alloys using X-ray diffraction. Samples for phase composition analysis were selected from the group of aluminium alloys covered by the EN 573-3:2013 standard [1]. Representative samples were taken from eight groups of alloys with different chemical composition (at least one sample from each group). The diffraction intensity was measured with a standard X-ray diffractometer in Bragg-Brentano geometry in a way that allowed identification of the weakest diffraction peaks. As a results of the performed research it has been shown that X-ray phase analysis can be used to identify the matrix of aluminium alloys, Si and crystalline intermetallic phases such as Mg2Si, Al93.38Cu6.02Fe24Si16.27, Al4.01MnSi0.74, MgZn2, Al17(Fe3.2Mn0.8)Si2, Al65Cu20Fe15, and Cu3Mn2Al. The detectability limit of the above-mentioned phases is better than 0.5%. The research has also shown that X-ray phase analysis is applicable in the investigation of phase transformations taking place in aluminium alloys.

The article presents results of research on the influence of variable parameters of horizontal continuous casting on the structure of AlCu4MgSi (EN AW-2017A) alloy ingots. The special character of the process allows for a continuous change of some of its parameters, namely, of the casting speed and of the rate of the cooling fluid flow thorough the crystallizer. These parameters have a significant impact on the crystallization process of the liquid metal. Depending on the cooling rate, intensity of the convection inside the solidifying alloy, and its chemical composition, there may arise some differences in the structure of the cast. In this study, ingots obtained at different casting speeds have been analyzed. The research methodology, based on light microscopy and electron microscopy (SEM), as well as energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), allowed for a thorough examination of the structure of the studied materials. The results were shown that an increase in the ingot casting speed leads to an increase in the average grain surface area.

The main purpose of this study was to identify the mineral composition of soil sample taken from the upper layer of topsoil. High absorption of chemical substance is a characteristic for humus-organic layer of topsoil. The source of those substance could be a pollutant emitted to the atmosphere by human activity. The research area includes Upper Silesia region, which is the most industrial region of Poland. In the present study, the phase composition of the top soil separates were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of seven mineral phases in the material magnetic separated by lower current (quartz, illite, kaolinite, Fe3+ oxides, hematite, magnetite and pyrite). In case of higher current were identified four phases (quartz, muscovite, kaolinite and K0.94 Na0.06(AlSi3O8)). Mössbauer spectroscopy was used for an extensive analysis of iron-containing phases (pyrrhotite, magnetite, aluminosilicate oxides with Fe3+ and kaolinite/Fe2+ silicate).

The article presents the results of research concerning to AlCu4MgSi alloy ingots produced using horizontal continuous casting process. The presented research was focused on the precise determination of phase composition of the precipitates formed during the solidification of ingots and the analysis of their thermal stability. In order to assess the morphology of precipitates in the AlCu4MgSi alloy, data obtained by using a computer simulation of thermodynamic phenomena were compiled with results obtained using advanced research techniques, i.e. High-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD), SEM-EDS, Thermal and derivative analysis (TDA) and Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD OES). SEM observations and analysis of chemical composition in micro-areas showed that the precipitates are mainly intermetallic θ-Al2Cu and β-Mg2Si phases, and also presence of Al19Fe4MnSi2 intermetallic phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Based on the prepared Thermo-Calc simulation data, high-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements were conducted.