Complex metallic alloy

Last updated

Complex metallic alloys (CMAs) or complex intermetallics (CIMs) are intermetallic compounds characterized by the following structural features: [1]

Contents

  1. large unit cells, comprising some tens up to thousands of atoms,
  2. the presence of well-defined atom clusters, frequently of icosahedral point group symmetry,
  3. the occurrence of inherent disorder in the ideal structure.

Overview

Complex metallic alloys is an umbrella term for intermetallic compounds with a relatively large unit cell. There is no precise definition of how large the unit cell of a complex metallic alloy has to be, but the broadest definition includes Zintl phases, skutterudites, and Heusler compounds on the most simple end, and quasicrystals on the more complex end. [2]

Research

Following the invention of X-ray crystallography techniques in the 1910s, the atomic structure of many compounds was investigated. Most metals have relatively simple structures. However, in 1923 Linus Pauling reported on the structure of the intermetallic NaCd2, which had such a complicated structure he was unable to fully explain it. [3] Thirty years later, he concluded that NaCd2 contains 384 sodium and 768 cadmium atoms in each unit cell. [4]

Most physical properties of CMAs show distinct differences with respect to the behavior of normal metallic alloys and therefore these materials possess a high potential for technological application.

The European Commission funded the Network of Excellence CMA [5] from 2005 to 2010, uniting 19 core groups in 12 countries. From this emerged the European Integrated Center for the Development of New Metallic Alloys and Compounds (previously C-MAC, now ECMetAC), which connects researchers at 21 universities. [6]

Examples

Example phases are:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal</span> Type of material

A metal is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically ductile and malleable. These properties are the result of the metallic bond between the atoms or molecules of the metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molecule</span> Electrically neutral group of two or more atoms

A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, the distinction from ions is dropped and molecule is often used when referring to polyatomic ions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quasicrystal</span> Chemical structure

A quasiperiodic crystal, or quasicrystal, is a structure that is ordered but not periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks translational symmetry. While crystals, according to the classical crystallographic restriction theorem, can possess only two-, three-, four-, and six-fold rotational symmetries, the Bragg diffraction pattern of quasicrystals shows sharp peaks with other symmetry orders—for instance, five-fold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal structure</span> Ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material

In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that repeat along the principal directions of three-dimensional space in matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodalite</span> Blue tectosilicate mineral

Sodalite is a tectosilicate mineral with the formula Na
8
(Al
6
Si
6
O
24
)Cl
2
, with royal blue varieties widely used as an ornamental gemstone. Although massive sodalite samples are opaque, crystals are usually transparent to translucent. Sodalite is a member of the sodalite group with hauyne, nosean, lazurite and tugtupite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubic crystal system</span> Crystallographic system where the unit cell is in the shape of a cube

In crystallography, the cubiccrystal system is a crystal system where the unit cell is in the shape of a cube. This is one of the most common and simplest shapes found in crystals and minerals.

Solid oxygen forms at normal atmospheric pressure at a temperature below 54.36 K (−218.79 °C, −361.82 °F). Solid oxygen O2, like liquid oxygen, is a clear substance with a light sky-blue color caused by absorption in the red part of the visible light spectrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Shechtman</span> Israeli Nobel laureate in chemistry

Dan Shechtman is the Philip Tobias Professor of Materials Science at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, an Associate of the US Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory, and Professor of Materials Science at Iowa State University. On April 8, 1982, while on sabbatical at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., Shechtman discovered the icosahedral phase, which opened the new field of quasiperiodic crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A15 phases</span>

The A15 phases (also known as β-W or Cr3Si structure types) are series of intermetallic compounds with the chemical formula A3B (where A is a transition metal and B can be any element) and a specific structure. The A15 phase is also one of the members in the Frank–Kasper phases family. Many of these compounds have superconductivity at around 20 K (−253 °C; −424 °F), which is comparatively high, and remain superconductive in magnetic fields of tens of teslas (hundreds of kilogauss). This kind of superconductivity (Type-II superconductivity) is an important area of study as it has several practical applications.

Magnesium aluminide is an intermetallic compound of magnesium and aluminium. Common phases (molecular structures) include the beta phase (Mg2Al3) and the gamma phase (Mg17Al12), which both have cubic crystal structures. Magnesium aluminides are important constituents of 5XXX aluminium alloys (aluminium-magnesium) and magnesium-aluminium alloys, determining many of their engineering properties. Due to the advantage of low density and being strong, magnesium aluminide is important for aircraft engines. MgAl has also been investigated for use as a reactant to produce metal hydrides in hydrogen storage technology. Like many intermetallics, MgAl compounds often have unusual stoichiometries with large and complex unit cells.

In chemistry, a Zintl phase is a product of a reaction between a group 1 or group 2 and main group metal or metalloid. It is characterized by intermediate metallic/ionic bonding. Zintl phases are a subgroup of brittle, high-melting intermetallic compounds that are diamagnetic or exhibit temperature-independent paramagnetism and are poor conductors or semiconductors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diffusionless transformation</span> Shift of atomic positions in a crystal structure

A diffusionless transformation, commonly known as displacive transformation, denote solid-state alterations in the crystal structure that do not hinge on the diffusion of atoms across extensive distances. Rather, these transformations manifest as a result of synchronized shifts in atomic positions, wherein atoms undergo displacements of distances smaller than the spacing between adjacent atoms, all while preserving their relative arrangement. An exemplar of such a phenomenon is the martensitic transformation, a notable occurrence observed in the context of steel materials. The term "martensite" was originally coined to describe the rigid and finely dispersed constituent that emerges in steels subjected to rapid cooling. Subsequent investigations revealed that materials beyond ferrous alloys, such as non-ferrous alloys and ceramics, can also undergo diffusionless transformations. Consequently, the term "martensite" has evolved to encompass the resultant product arising from such transformations in a more inclusive manner. In the context of diffusionless transformations, a cooperative and homogeneous movement occurs, leading to a modification in the crystal structure during a phase change. These movements are small, usually less than their interatomic distances, and the neighbors of an atom remain close. The systematic movement of large numbers of atoms led to some to refer to these as military transformations in contrast to civilian diffusion-based phase changes, initially by Frederick Charles Frank and John Wyrill Christian.

A crystallographic database is a database specifically designed to store information about the structure of molecules and crystals. Crystals are solids having, in all three dimensions of space, a regularly repeating arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules. They are characterized by symmetry, morphology, and directionally dependent physical properties. A crystal structure describes the arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binary compounds of silicon</span> Any binary chemical compound containing just silicon and another chemical element

Binary compounds of silicon are binary chemical compounds containing silicon and one other chemical element. Technically the term silicide is reserved for any compounds containing silicon bonded to a more electropositive element. Binary silicon compounds can be grouped into several classes. Saltlike silicides are formed with the electropositive s-block metals. Covalent silicides and silicon compounds occur with hydrogen and the elements in groups 10 to 17.

Cr<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub> crystal structure

Cr23C6 is the prototypical compound of a common crystal structure, discovered in 1933 as part of the chromium-carbon binary phase diagram. Over 85 known compounds adopt this structure type, which can be described as a NaCl-like packing of chromium cubes and cuboctahedra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank–Kasper phases</span> Particular class of intermetallic phases

Topologically close pack (TCP) phases, also known as Frank-Kasper (FK) phases, are one of the largest groups of intermetallic compounds, known for their complex crystallographic structure and physical properties. Owing to their combination of periodic and aperiodic structure, some TCP phases belong to the class of quasicrystals. Applications of TCP phases as high-temperature structural and superconducting materials have been highlighted; however, they have not yet been sufficiently investigated for details of their physical properties. Also, their complex and often non-stoichiometric structure makes them good subjects for theoretical calculations.

In crystallography, a Strukturbericht designation or Strukturbericht type is a system of detailed crystal structure classification by analogy to another known structure. The designations were intended to be comprehensive but are mainly used as supplement to space group crystal structures designations, especially historically. Each Strukturbericht designation is described by a single space group, but the designation includes additional information about the positions of the individual atoms, rather than just the symmetry of the crystal structure. While Strukturbericht symbols exist for many of the earliest observed and most common crystal structures, the system is not comprehensive, and is no longer being updated. Modern databases such as Inorganic Crystal Structure Database index thousands of structure types directly by the prototype compound. These are essentially equivalent to the old Stukturbericht designations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Sutor</span>

Dorothy June Sutor was a New Zealand-born crystallographer who spent most of her research career in England. She was one of the first scientists to establish that hydrogen bonds could form to hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms. She later worked in the laboratory of Kathleen Lonsdale on the characterisation and prevention of urinary calculi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal cluster compound</span> Cluster of three or more metals

Metal cluster compounds are a molecular ion or neutral compound composed of three or more metals and featuring significant metal-metal interactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CrysTBox</span> Free crystallographic software

CrysTBox is a suite of computer tools designed to accelerate material research based on transmission electron microscope images via highly accurate automated analysis and interactive visualization. Relying on artificial intelligence and computer vision, CrysTBox makes routine crystallographic analyses simpler, faster and more accurate compared to human evaluators. The high level of automation together with sub-pixel precision and interactive visualization makes the quantitative crystallographic analysis accessible even for non-crystallographers allowing for an interdisciplinary research. Simultaneously, experienced material scientists can take advantage of advanced functionalities for comprehensive analyses.

References

  1. Urban, Knut; Feuerbacher, Michael (2004). "Structurally complex alloy phases". Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 334–335. Elsevier B.V.: 143–150. Bibcode:2004JNCS..334..143U. doi:10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2003.11.029.
  2. Dubois, Jean-Marie; Belin-Ferré, Esther, eds. (2011). Complex Metallic Alloys: Fundamentals and Applications. Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/9783527632718. ISBN   978-3-527-32523-8.
  3. Pauling, Linus (1923). "The Crystal Structure of Magnesium Stannide". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 45 (12). American Chemical Society (ACS): 2777–2780. doi:10.1021/ja01665a001. ISSN   0002-7863.
  4. Pauling, Linus (1955). "The Stochastic Method and the Structure of Proteins". American Scientist. 43 (2): 285–297. JSTOR   27826614.
  5. "Complex Metallic Alloys". Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS). Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  6. "European Integrated Centre for the Development of New Metallic Alloys and Compounds" . Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  7. Samson, S. (1965-09-01). "The crsytal structure of the phase β Mg2Al3". Acta Crystallographica. 19 (3). International Union of Crystallography (IUCr): 401–413. doi:10.1107/s0365110x65005133. ISSN   0365-110X.
  8. Boudard, M.; Klein, H.; Boissieu, M. De; Audier, M.; Vincent, H. (1996). "Structure of quasicrystalline approximant phase in the Al-Pd-Mn system". Philosophical Magazine A. 74 (4). Informa UK Limited: 939–956. Bibcode:1996PMagA..74..939B. doi:10.1080/01418619608242169. ISSN   0141-8610.
  9. Smontara, A.; Smiljanić, I.; Bilušić, A.; Jagličić, Z.; Klanjšek, M.; Roitsch, S.; Dolinšek, J.; Feuerbacher, M. (2007). "Electrical, magnetic, thermal and thermoelectric properties of the "Bergman phase" Mg32(Al,Zn)49 complex metallic alloy". Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 430 (1–2). Elsevier BV: 29–38. doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2006.05.026. ISSN   0925-8388.
  10. Taylor, M. A. (1961-01-10). "The space group of MnAl3". Acta Crystallographica. 14 (1). International Union of Crystallography (IUCr): 84. Bibcode:1961AcCry..14...84T. doi: 10.1107/s0365110x61000346 . ISSN   0365-110X.
  11. Hiraga, K.; Kaneko, M.; Matsuo, Y.; Hashimoto, S. (1993). "The structure of Al3Mn: Close relationship to decagonal quasicrystais". Philosophical Magazine B. 67 (2). Informa UK Limited: 193–205. Bibcode:1993PMagB..67..193H. doi:10.1080/13642819308207867. ISSN   1364-2812.

Further reading