ScienceAsia 30 (2004): 33-41 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2004.30.033

Microstructure and Solidification of Al-Fe-(V, Si) Alloy Powders

Ruangdaj Tongsri,^a,* Richard Dashwood^b and Henry Mcshane^b

ABSTRACT: Gas-atomised powders of Al-Fe-(V, Si) alloys exhibited microstructures consisting of cells and/or some forms of icosahedral phase. The forms of icosahedral phase include irregular shaped aggregates of ultrafine spherical micro-quasicrystalline (MI) particles in α−aluminium phase matrix, ultrafine MI particles in intercellular regions, and globular clusters of randomly oriented MI particles (in medium to coarse size Al- Fe-V alloy powders) or globular particles of single icosahedral phase (in medium to coarse size Al-Fe-V-Si alloy powders). It has been proposed that solidification behavior of the Al-Fe-(V, Si) alloy powders would be attributed to a competition between growth of α−aluminium phase fronts and freely nucleated icosahedral particles. Interactions between the solidification fronts and dispersed particles, influenced by solidification rates, would control microstructural morphology.

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a National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), Thailand Science Park, 114 Paholyothin Rd., Klong 1, Klong Luang, Phatumthani 12120 Thailand
b Department of Materials, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Rd., London SW7 2 BP, UK.

* Corresponding author, E-mail: ruangdt@mtec.or.th

Received 23 May 2003
Accepted 24 Dec 2003