Semi-Quantitative HRTEM for Partially Ordered Materials: Application to Al-rich TiAl Alloys

摘要

Microstructures of long-period ordered TiAl alloys that are rich in Al were investigated by the semi-quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Local ordered arrangements of Al atoms in (002) Ti-rich layers of the L1_0 matrix were identified from arrangements of very bright dots in the HRTEM images after appropriate image processing. For a short-range order (SRO) state, the Al atoms form three types of ordered-clusters: square (Ti_4Al), fat rhombus (Ti_3Al) and lean rhombus (Ti_2Al). These clusters are arranged periodically in a short-range to form microdomains of various long-period superstructures: Al_5Ti_3, h-Al_2Ti and so on. Below or above the temperature range showing the SRO state, the Al_5Ti_3 or h-Al_2Ti type cluster-arrangements selectively develop into their long-range order (LRO) domains. Some of the other cluster-arrangements are left between the LRO domains as anti-phase boundary structures.