Diffusion in Quasi-Crystalline Alloys

In this Chapter, we review knowledge about diffusion in quasi-crystalline alloys (quasicrystals). In Section 1 we first remind the reader of some major aspects of the quasi-crystalline state and in Section 2 we introduce phase diagrams with quasi-crystalline phases, for which detailed diffusion studies are available. We mention in Section 3 the more common experimental methods for diffusion studies. The diffusive motion of atoms in quasi-crystalline alloys can be studied by the same techniques used for crystalline metallic alloys and intermetallics – measurements of radiotracer diffusion and diffusion of stable isotopes and solute atoms by SIMS profiling. The best-studied quasi-crystalline alloys are icosahedral AlPdMn, icosahedral ZnMgRE (RE = rare earth metal), and decagonal AlNiCo. The major diffusion results for these quasicrystals are reviewed in Sections 4, 5, and 6. Section 7 is devoted to the pressure dependence of diffusion in quasicrystals and to a comparison of the activation volumes with those of crystalline metals. Positron annihilation studies are also mentioned, which together with activation volumes for diffusion strongly favour a vacancy mechanism in quasicrystals. The major results and conclusions are summarized in Section 8.