Abstract
Al65Cu20Fe15 mixed powder was mechanically alloyed using a planetary ball mill (Fritsch P-7) with the intensity setting at 7 in an Ar atmosphere. The alloying process was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, differential scanning calorimetry and electron microscopy. Mackay type icosahedral phase (i-phase) quasicrystal with primitive sixdimensional hypercubic lattice (P-type) was obtained directly by mechanically alloying (MA) in powders milled for 15 and 20h. It was found that the i-phase quasicrystal with the P-type was transformed into the i-phase with the face-centred six-dimensional hypercubic lattice (F-type) on heating to the temperature range from 900 to 1100K. In powders milled for 5 and 10h, the formation of the quasicrystalline alloy could not be observed during MA, but the i-phase quasicrystal with the F-type was obtained indirectly after additional heating.
