Abstract
Rare earth element Ce has a positive purifying effect on Fe and Si impurities in pure aluminum. In this study, we unveiled the mechanism of Ce purification of Fe and Si impurities in commercial pure aluminum at the atomic scale via utilizing the properties of TiCN nanoparticles, which exhibit distribution along grain boundaries and impede solute atom diffusion at specific cooling rates. The transition phase L12-Al3Ce was characterized in aluminum, which is considered to be an important transition phase to purified products. Furthermore, High Angle Dark Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HADDF-STEM) and 3D Atom Probe Tomography (3D-APT) results showed that Ce could respectively enrich the Fe and Si impurities, resulting in the formation of Al-Ce-Fe and Al-Ce-Si clusters. Density functional theory (DFT) results indicated that Fe and Si atoms can incorporate into L12-Al3Ce crystal, forming more stable structures and therefore giving rise to the formation of Al-Ce-Si and Al-Ce-Fe nanoclusters. This study provides atomic-scale insights into the mechanism of Ce purifying Fe and Si impurities in aluminum.
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