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Multiscale characterization of the nucleation and 3D structure of Al3Sc phases using electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray tomography

Zhao, Y; Zhang, W; Koe, B; Du, W; Wang, M; Wang, W; Boller, E; ... Mi, J; + view all (2020) Multiscale characterization of the nucleation and 3D structure of Al3Sc phases using electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray tomography. Materials Characterization , 164 10.1016/j.matchar.2020.110353. Green open access

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Abstract

Scandium (Sc) has been long recognized as one of the most effective grain refining elements for Al alloys because of the Al3Sc phases formed in an Al melt containing Sc. However, there are still lack of comprehensive studies on the exact mechanism of how Al3Sc phases are nucleated in Al melt and their true 3D structures. In this paper, we used scanning/transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray tomography to study the nucleation and true 3D structure of primary Al3Sc phases in an Al-2wt%Sc alloy. The multiscale characterization approach revealed that the micrometre α-Al2O3 particles present in the Al melt can facilitate the formation of stacking faults at the α-Al2O3/Al3Sc interface and therefore promote heterogenous nucleation of Al3Sc phases. SEM and tomography clearly revealed that individual primary Al3Sc phases were simple cubes with the edge length of 10–35 μm; and majority of them were interconnected to form clusters with the peak value of 10,000 μm3. At the interface between an Al matrix and an Al3Sc cube, the Al3Sc phases can also grow into nanometre size particle clusters due to the depletion of Sc.

Type: Article
Title: Multiscale characterization of the nucleation and 3D structure of Al3Sc phases using electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray tomography
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.matchar.2020.110353
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2020.110353
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Multiscale characterization, Al3Sc intermetallics, Al alloy, Electron microscopy, Synchrotron X-ray tomography
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10096867
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