Influence of directional solidification parameters on the amount of quasicrystalline phase of an AlCuFe alloy

In this work, a casting processing route via unidirectional solidification is proposed, where the severity of cooling can be increased to maximize the amount of quasicrystalline phase. For this, the alloy with nominal composition Al 62.5 Cu 25 Fe 12.5 was melted and solidified unidirectionally under optimized processing conditions. Our results evidenced a dependence of the quasicrystalline phase percentage, obtained for an AlCuFe alloy, as a function of the position of the ingot and the type of mold used during the directional solidification process. This analysis expands the spectrum of studies on structural properties, for alloys of the AlCuFe system, indicating the cooling conditions, during the directional solidification process, necessary to maximize the amount of quasicrystalline phase. • Unidirectional solidification is an effective method for quasicrystals fabrication • Unidirectional solidification outperforms other methods, reducing time and cost • Unidirectional solidification enabled the controlled production of quasicrystals • In directional casting, lower temperatures boost the quasicrystalline phase fraction