Stable nanocrystalline ordering alloy systems and methods of identifying same

1. An alloy comprising:

a mixture of a solute element and a solvent element, the mixture having a phase including at least one of a stable nanocrystalline phase, a metastable nanocrystalline phase, and a non-nanocrystalline phase,

the phase having a first thermodynamic parameter associated with grain boundary segregation of the alloy system, a second thermodynamic parameter associated with phase separation of the alloy system, and a third thermodynamic parameter associated with intermetallic compound formation of the alloy system,

wherein the phase is stable when the first thermodynamic parameter, the second thermodynamic parameter, and the third thermodynamic parameter are within a predetermined region of a stability map of the alloy.

2. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein an enthalpy of mixing is negative.

3. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy includes an intermetallic compound.

4. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is an ordered binary alloy comprising at least one of Ag—Sc, Ag—La, Ag—Y, Ba—Pd, Ba—Pt, Be—Ti, Bi—Pd, Ca—Pt, Cd—Pd, Co—Al, Co—As, Co—Ga, Co—Ge, Co—Hf, Co—Nb, Co—Sc, Co—Ta, Co—Ti, Co—Y, Co—Zr, Cr—Pt, Cu—Sc, Fe—Al, Fe—As, Fe—Hf, Fe—Sc, Fe—Zr, Hf—Ag, Hf—Bi, Hf—Co, Hf—Ni, Hf—Os, Hf—Re, Hf—Tl, Ir—Cd, Ir—Cr, Ir—Ge, Ir—In, Ir—Mg, Ir—Mn, Ir—Sb, Ir—Zn, La—Ag, La—Au, La—Ir, La—Rh, La—Zn, Mn—Ga, Mn—Pd, Mn—Sb, Mo—Al, Mo—Ge, Mo—Pd, Nb—Co, Nb—Ga, Nb—Ni, Nb—Re, Nb—Sb, Nb—Sn, Nb—Zn, Ni—Ga, Ni—Ge, Ni—Hf, Ni—In, Ni—La, Ni—Mg, Ni—Nb, Ni—Ta, Ni—Th, Ni—Y, Ni—Zn, Os—As, Os—Ga, Os—Ge, Os—P, Os—V, Os—Y, Os—Zn, Pd—Mn, Pt—Bi, Pt—K, Pt—Mn, Pt—Na, Pt—Tl, Re—Al, Re—As, Re—Ga, Re—Ge, Re—Hf, Re—Nb, Re—Sc, Re—Ta, Re—Ti, Rh—Bi, Rh—Cd, Rh—In, Rh—Mg, Rh—Mn, Rh—Sb, Rh—Sn, Rh—Tl, Rh—Zn, Ru—Ga, Ru—Ge, Ru—La, Ru—Mg, Ru—V, Ru—Y, Ru—Zn, Sc—Ag, Sc—Cu, Sc—Ni, Sc—Os, Sc—Ru, Sc—Tc, Sn—Pd, Sr—Pd, Sr—Pt, Ta—Al, Ta—Fe, Ta—Ga, Ta—Ni, Ta—Re, Ta—Sb, Ta—Sn, Ta—Zn, Tc—Ge, Tc—La, Tc—Th, Tc—V, Tc—Y, Tc—Zn, Th—Ir, Th—Rh, Ti—Be, Ti—Bi, Ti—Cd, Ti—Co, Ti—In, Ti—Ni, Ti—Pb, Ti—Sn, Ti—Zn, V—Ga, V—Ru, V—Sb, V—Tc, W—Al, W—As, W—Ge, W—Hf, W—Ir, W—Pt, W—Si, W—Zr, Y—Ag, Y—Ir, Y—Rh, Y—Zn, Zn—Hf, Zn—La, Zn—Sc, Zn—Y, Zr—Ag, Zr—Be, Zr—Co, Zr—Cu, and Zr—Ni.

5. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is a nanocrystalline alloy having an average grain size of less than about 1,000 nm.

6. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is substantially thermodynamically stable at a temperature of 1,000 K.

7. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is substantially free of a classical segregation-stabilized nanocrystalline phase.

8. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is formed using at least one of electrodeposition, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-spraying, mechanical alloying, casting, and solidification.

9. The alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy is mechanically alloyed.

10. An alloy comprising:

a mixture of a solute element and a solvent element,

the mixture having a phase including at least one of a stable nanocrystalline phase, a metastable nanocrystalline phase, and a non-nanocrystalline phase,

the phase being stable when a plurality of thermodynamic parameters are within a predetermined region of a stability map of the alloy, and

the alloy comprising grains having a largest dimension smaller than about 1,000 nm.

11. The alloy of claim 10 , wherein the alloy is an ordered binary alloy comprising at least one of Ag—Sc, Ag—La, Ag—Y, Ba—Pd, Ba—Pt, Be—Ti, Bi—Pd, Ca—Pt, Cd—Pd, Co—Al, Co—As, Co—Ga, Co—Ge, Co—Hf, Co—Nb, Co—Sc, Co—Ta, Co—Ti, Co—Y, Co—Zr, Cr—Pt, Cu—Sc, Fe—Al, Fe—As, Fe—Hf, Fe—Sc, Fe—Zr, Hf—Ag, Hf—Bi, Hf—Co, Hf—Ni, Hf—Os Hf—Re, Hf—Tl, Ir—Cd, Ir—Cr, Ir—Ge, Ir—In, Ir—Mg, Ir—Mn, Ir—Sb, Ir—Zn, La—Ag, La—Au, La—Ir, La—Rh, La—Zn, Mn—Ga, Mn—Pd, Mn—Sb, Mo—Al, Mo—Ge, Mo—Pd, Nb—Co, Nb—Ga, Nb—Ni, Nb—Re, Nb—Sb, Nb—Sn, Nb—Zn, Ni—Ga, Ni—Ge, Ni—Hf, Ni—In, Ni—La, Ni—Mg, Ni—Nb, Ni—Ta, Ni—Th, Ni—Y, Ni—Zn, Os—As, Os—Ga, Os—Ge, Os—P, Os—V, Os—Y, Os—Zn, Pd—Mn, Pt—Bi, Pt—K, Pt—Mn, Pt—Na, Pt—Tl, Re—Al, Re—As, Re—Ga, Re—Ge, Re—Hf, Re—Nb, Re—Sc, Re—Ta, Re—Ti, Rh—Bi, Rh—Cd, Rh—In, Rh—Mg, Rh—Mn, Rh—Sb, Rh—Sn, Rh—Tl, Rh—Zn, Ru—Ga, Ru—Ge, Ru—La, Ru—Mg, Ru—V, Ru—Y, Ru—Zn, Sc—Ag, Sc—Cu, Sc—Ni, Sc—Os, Sc—Ru, Sc—Tc, Sn—Pd, Sr—Pd, Sr—Pt, Ta—Al, Ta—Fe, Ta—Ga, Ta—Ni, Ta—Re, Ta—Sb, Ta—Sn, Ta—Zn, Tc—Ge, Tc—La, Tc—Th, Tc—V, Tc—Y, Tc—Zn, Th—Ir, Th—Rh, Ti—Be, Ti—Bi, Ti—Cd, Ti—Co, Ti—In, Ti—Ni, Ti—Pb, Ti—Sn, Ti—Zn, V—Ga, V—Ru, V—Sb, V—Tc, W—Al, W—As, W—Ge, W—Hf, W—Ir, W—Pt, W—Si, W—Zr, Y—Ag, Y—Ir, Y—Rh, Y—Zn, Zn—Hf, Zn—La, Zn—Sc, Zn—Y, Zr—Ag, Zr—Be, Zr—Co, Zr—Cu, and Zr—Ni.

12. The alloy of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of thermodynamic parameters are associated with at least two of grain boundary segregation, phase separation of the alloy system, and intermetallic compound formation of the alloy system.

13. The alloy of claim 10 , wherein the alloy is substantially thermodynamically stable at a temperature of 1,000 K.

14. The alloy of claim 10 , wherein the alloy is substantially free of a classical segregation-stabilized nanocrystalline phase.

15. The alloy of claim 10 , wherein the alloy is formed by at least one of electrodeposition, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-spraying, mechanical alloying, casting, and solidification.