Microstructural characterization of the dispersed phases in Al-Ce-Fe system

Abstract

Analytical electron microscopy studies were conducted on a rapidly solidified Al-8.8Fe-3.7Ce alloy and arc melted buttons of aluminum rich Al-Fe-Ce alloys to determine the characteristics of the metastable and equilibrium phases. The rapidly solidified alloy consisted of binary and ternary metastable phases in the as-extruded condition. The binary metastable phase was identified to be Al6Fe, while the ternary metastable phases were identified to be Al10Fe2Ce and Al20Fe5Ce. The Al20Fe5Ce was a decagonal quasicrystal while the Al10Fe2Ce phase was determined to have an orthorhombic crystal structure belonging to space group Cmmm, Cmm2, or C222. Microscopy studies of RS alloy and cast buttons annealed at 700 K established the equilibrium phases to be Al13Fe4, Al4Ce, and an Al13Fe3Ce ternary phase which was first identified in the present study. The crystal structure of the equilibrium ternary phase was determined to be orthorhombic with a Cmcm or Cmc2 space group. The details of X-ray microanalysis and convergent beam electron diffraction analysis are described.