Plastic deformation of a monoclinic Al₁₃Fe₄ at 300 ∼ 873 K

Abstract

The plasticity of monoclinic Al₁₃Fe₄ particles grown in a spray-formed Al–Fe alloy is examined after being submitted to two deformation modes between 300 and 873 K by specially designed semi-in situ compression tests; one is uniform and the other is by indentation. In the uniform mode, cracks propagate through the Al₁₃Fe₄ particles along the pentagonal column planes, leaving extremely thin and heavily deformed plastic zones along the cracked faces at 300 and 473 K. In contrast, the generation of isolated dislocations and their motion govern the plastic deformation at 673 and 873 K. In the indentation mode, local deformation is achieved exclusively by individual dislocations over the whole range of temperature explored. A possible mechanism of dislocation motion in monoclinic Al₁₃Fe₄ is discussed based on Burgers vector analyses coupled with the three-dimensional observation of dislocation configurations.

Keywords:

• thin foil compression
• intermetallics
• Al₁₃Fe₄
• monoclinic
• dislocation motion
• HVEM