Chemical microanalysis of the oxygen-stabilised amorphous phase in a Zr_(50)Cu_(50) alloy using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis and electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS)

摘要

-- An oxygen-stabilised amorphous phase, very likely a precursor to ZrO_2, was found in a Zr_(50)Cu_(50) alloy after low-temperature annealing. The amorphous phase was distributed in the martensitic ZrCu matrix in the form of localised regions. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) was used in a scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to determine the chemical differences between the amorphous phase and the surrounding matrix. Electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) was also used to determine the chemical composition of the amorphous phase more accurately with respect to the presence of oxygen.