Aluminum base alloy
An aluminum base alloy is produced by supercooling a molten alloy composed mainly of aluminum. The molten alloy contains an element capable of forming a quasicrystalline phase, an element which aids formation of the quasicrystals, and an element which stabilizes a supercooled state of the molten alloy and delays crystallization of a crystalline phase, and is composed of a mixed composition of a fine amorphous phase and an aluminum crystalline phase or an aluminum supersaturated solid solution phase, or a single phase of only an amorphous phase.
1. An aluminum base alloy obtained by supercooling a molten alloy composed mainly of aluminum, wherein
the molten alloy contains an element Q 1 capable of forming a quasicrystalline phase, an element Q 2 for aiding formation of the quasicrystals, and an element P 1 for stabilizing the supercooled state of the molten alloy and delaying crystallization of the crystalline phase, and
the aluminum base alloy consists of non-quasicrystalline-phase-containing composition composed of a mixed composition of a fine amorphous phase and an aluminum crystalline phase or an aluminum supersaturated solid solution phase, or a single phase of only an amorphous phase,
wherein the aluminum base alloy has a hardness from about 350 to about 580 Hv, and
wherein a volume fraction of the amorphous phase is 50% or more with respect to the whole volume of the aluminum base alloy.
2. An aluminum base alloy obtained by cooling a molten alloy at a cooling speed of 1×10 5 to 1×10 7 K/sec, wherein:
the molten alloy is expressed by a general formula of Al bal Q 1 a Q 2 b P 1 c , where:
Q 1 is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Cr, V, and Li,
Q 2 is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mo, Nb, and Cu,
P 1 is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, Zr, Si, Ni, Ge, Ca, Sr, Ba, and W, and
a, b, and c are atomic percents being positive numbers satisfying the relationships of 1≦a≦7, 1≦b≦7, 1≦c≦10, and c≦0.75(a+b); and
the aluminum base alloy consists of a non-quasicrystalline-phase-containing composition composed of a mixed composition of a fine amorphous phase and an aluminum crystalline phase or a supersaturated solid solution phase of aluminum,
wherein the aluminum base alloy has a hardness from about 350 to about 580 Hv.
3. The aluminum base alloy according to claim 2 , wherein a, b, and c in the general formula are positive numbers satisfying the relationship of 3≦(a+b+c)≦14.
4. An aluminum base alloy obtained by cooling a molten alloy at a cooling speed of 1×10 5 to 1×10 7 K/sec, wherein:
the molten alloy is expressed by a general formula of Al bal Q 1 a Q 2 b P 1 c , where:
Q 1 is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Cr, V, and Li,
Q 2 is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mo, Nb, and Cu,
P 1 is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Co, Zr, Si, Ni, Ge, Ca, Sr, Ba, and W, and
a, b, and c are atomic percents being positive numbers satisfying the relationships of 1≦a≦7, 1≦b≦7, 1≦c≦10, and c≦0.75(a+b); and
the aluminum base alloy consists of a non-quasicrystalline-phase-containing composition composed of a single phase of only an amorphous phase,
wherein the aluminum base alloy has a hardness from about 350 to about 580 Hv.
5. The aluminum base alloy according to claim 4 , wherein a, b, and c in the general formula are positive numbers satisfying the relationship of 3≦(a+b+c)≦14.