Rapid synthesis and densification of single-phase Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystals by spark plasma sintering or microwave heating

Abstract

Quasicrystalline (QC) phases are often stable only within narrow composition domains. For this reason, the synthesis of larger amounts of single-phase quasicrystalline powders is difficult. Powder metallurgical approaches, based on mechanical milling followed by conventional heating, have been explored in the recent past. The manufacturing process for single-phase quasicrystals – either in the form of powders or as bulk parts – can be accelerated by orders of magnitude using rapid heating methods that involve pulsed electric currents and/or high-frequency electromagnetic fields. Prior knowledge of the phase transformation sequence and transformation kinetics, as revealed by in situ time-resolved synchrotron radiation experiments, is crucial in obtaining single-phase quasicrystals. We report on the simultaneous synthesis and densification of bulk single-phase Al–Cu–Fe QCs by spark plasma sintering (SPS) within minutes and on the ultrafast synthesis of single-phase Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline powders by microwave heating within seconds. The effect of electric current application in the rapid processing of pre-alloyed powders is discussed in relation to the faster diffusion and enhanced phase transformation kinetics.