  Zn-Al alloys have become one of the major engineering alloys among
commercially available alloys. This study was conducted on eutectoid
composition of Zn-Al alloy with an observation of the effect of copper
addition. For this purpose, one eutectoid (Zn-22wt%Al) and three other alloys,
adding 1wt%, 3wt% and 5wt% copper with this eutectoid composition, were molded
in permanent metal mould. Microscopic studies exhibited varied grains which
confirmed the formation of different phases. Moreover, the formation of
different phases in micro study was supported by XRD analysis. Hardness of the
samples were tested on Rockwell B scale and it was observed that the hardness
of these alloys was substantially increased with the addition of copper. With
increasing amount of copper, phase changing temperature of the alloys reveals a
growing trend, which was observed by DTA analysis. From this study it was
concluded that addition of copper can significantly add to the mechanical
properties of Zn-Al alloys.
