Properties of Icosahedral Clusters and Medium-Range Order in AlCuZr Alloy

Abstract

The evolution characteristics of icosahedral clusters during the rapid solidification of Al10Cu50Zr40 alloy under cooling rates of 1.0 × 1011 K/s are investigated based on molecular dynamics simulations. The structural properties of short-range order and medium-range order of Al10Cu50Zr40 alloy are analyzed by several structural characterization methods. It is found that the icosahedral cluster is the dominant short range order structure. Simultaneously, the medium -range order structural evolutions are described in detail by quantitative method and visualization technology during the rapid solidification. The results reveal that the medium-range order icosahedral clusters are bonding with each other by chain, triangle, tetrahedral and their combination structures, and have excellent structural stability and configural continuity with the temperature decreasing. The medium-range order clusters that consist of , and interlocked with each other and built the densely packed network structures.