Crystallization studies in the aluminum-rich corner of the aluminum-iron-manganese system

A method for determining the compositional areas of primary crystallization of Al-Fe-Mn alloys has been developed and used for the determination of the locations of the eutectic troughs, the ternary eutectic point, and the corresponding variation in composition of the FeAl₃ and (FeMn)Al₆ phases in the aluminum-rich corner of this system. The method uses slow crystallization in a relatively large and well stirred bath of alloy while periodically taking small samples of slurry at temperature by sucking these into silica tubes, followed by quenching and metallographic and electron probe examination. Growth of individual rounded aluminum and polygonal intermetallic crystals was observed during crystallization along the eutectic troughs.