On the stable Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystals

By the conventional air-cooled casting method, bulk ingots with a large fraction of stable Mg-Zn-Y icosahedral quasicrystals, both simple and face-centered, were obtained. The quasicrystal structures were directly confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) observations. The electron diffraction patterns from the quasicrystals were studied by computer simulations. A coexisting crys-talline phase of the quasicrystals was identified as the Mg₇Zn₃ phase, which was proved to be the (1/1) approximant of the quasicrystals. The quasicrystals were stable during a continuous heating process. However, at high temperature, oxidation occurred, and thus, Y₂O₃ and MgO products were formed. Oxidation at high temperatures is characteristic for the Mg-Zn-Y alloys and differs from Al-base alloys.