Since the discovery of quasicrystals (QCs) by Shechtman and his colleagues in 1984, these materials have been the subject of intense research due to their unique physical and chemical properties. This makes them promising for a variety of applications, including hydrogen storage, catalysis, magnetic devices, protective coatings, and thermal insulation.
To date, QCs have been identified and confirmed in more than a hundred different alloys based on Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Mg, Mn, Ni, Ta, Ti, V, Zn, Zr and other metals. Particular attention is paid to ternary Al-Cu-Fe alloys due to their economic benefits, availability and the possibility of processing the elements included in their composition.
Quasicrystals, materials with long-range order but no periodicity, are a unique class of solids that have attracted considerable interest in the scientific community. The Al-Cu-Fe system is one of the best-studied quasicrystalline systems, exhibiting a stable icosahedral phase.
Experimental studies of the Al-Cu-Fe phase diagram are carried out using various methods, including differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. These methods allow us to determine the temperatures of phase transitions, the structure of the phases and their relative content depending on the temperature and composition.
New studies are aimed at refining the boundaries of phase regions, identifying new metastable phases, and studying the influence of various factors, such as cooling rate and alloying, on the stability of the quasi-crystalline phase. The results obtained are important for understanding the mechanisms of quasicrystal formation and developing new materials with improved properties.
The icosahedral quasicrystalline phase I-AlCuFe, which exhibits stability, was first discovered by Cai et al. with the composition Al65Cu25Fe10. Subsequent studies by Calvayrac and Bessières showed that the stable phase I exists in a narrow composition range close to Al62Cu25.5Fe12.5. Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate various aspects of the icosahedral phase I-AlCu2Fe, including its origin, structure, stability, synthesis, physical properties, and resistance to oxidation and corrosion.
Author: Lilong Zhu, Sujeily Soto-Medina, Wesley Cuadrado-Castillo, Richard G. Hennig, Michele V. Manuel
Institute: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA