Quasicrystalline Al–Cu–Fe alloys are a unique class of materials characterized by long-range order but lacking lattice periodicity. The microstructure of these alloys typically consists of an icosahedral phase surrounded by other crystalline phases such as β-AlCu and λ-Al13Fe4. The production of quasicrystalline alloys involves a variety of methods including arc melting, rapid solidification, and mechanical alloying.
The properties of quasicrystalline Al–Cu–Fe alloys are highly dependent on their microstructure and chemical composition. They exhibit high hardness, low friction coefficient, and excellent corrosion resistance. These properties make them attractive for a variety of applications, including wear-resistant coatings, thermal barriers, and biomedical implants.
Despite their promising properties, quasicrystalline Al–Cu–Fe alloys have some limitations, such as their brittleness and the difficulty of producing large-sized samples. Future research should focus on improving their mechanical properties and developing cost-effective production methods.
Quasi-crystalline diffractive materials are a new class of substances characterized by a special structure of the crystal lattice. They demonstrate Bragg peaks in X-ray diffraction, but the translational symmetry inherent in crystals is absent in them, which causes the aperiodicity of the structure. Complex atomic organization and unique properties, such as low electrical and thermal conductivity, unusual optical characteristics, low surface energy, oxidation resistance and biocompatibility, make quasicrystals promising for practical applications.
Currently, quasicrystalline phases have been found in more than a hundred alloys, mainly aluminum-based. Al–Cu–Fe alloys are distinguished by their availability, non-toxicity, and moderate cost of alloying elements. This article examines the microstructure, production methods, and properties of these alloys from a materials science perspective, and compares the characteristics of different methods for producing quasicrystals. Current and potential applications of Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystals are discussed based on their unique properties.
Author: Elina Huttunen-Saarivirta
Institute: Institute of Materials Science, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 589, Tampere, FIN-33101, Finland