RETRACTED – Formation and properties of Zr-based bulk quasicrystalline alloys with high strength and good ductility

The crystallization mode of the Zr–Al–Ni–Cu amorphous alloys changed from a single stage to become two stages by the addition of Ag or Pd, and the first-stage exothermic reaction was found to result from the precipitation of nanoscale icosahedral particles with a size of 20 to 50 nm. The precipitation took place by high nucleation and low growth rates in a polymorphous mode for the Ag-containing alloys, and a diffusioncontrolled mode for the Pd-containing alloys. The nanoscale mixed structure alloys exhibited improved strength and ductility as compared with the corresponding amorphous single-phase alloys. The findings of the dispersion strengthening as well as the dispersion ductilization gave a future opportunity to fabricate a new bulk nonequilibrium phase alloy by use of the new phenomenon.