Quasicrystalline Alloy Properties and Applications
Summary
Quasicrystalline alloys are intermetallic materials characterised by long-range atomic order without periodic translation symmetry, often exhibiting fivefold, tenfold or icosahedral rotational symmetries forbidden in conventional crystals. This unique structure gives rise to a suite of remarkable physical and chemical properties, including high hardness, low thermal and electrical conductivity, excellent corrosion resistance and anomalously low friction coefficients. Their complex atomic motifs confer outstanding thermal stability, making them attractive for high-temperature coatings and oxidation-resistant barriers. Tribological studies have demonstrated self-lubricating behaviour under dry wear, while mechanical testing of bulk and composite forms reveals combinations of high yield strength and moderate toughness. Advances in processing—such as rapid solidification, mechanical alloying, powder metallurgy and high-velocity thermal spraying—have enabled controlled fabrication of nanoscale quasicrystalline particles and continuous coatings. These developments underpin applications ranging from wear-resistant components in aerospace and automotive industries to non-stick surfaces, thermal barrier coatings and potential use in hydrogen storage, thermoelectric generation and catalytic systems. Integration of quasicrystalline phases into aluminium- and magnesium-matrix composites has yielded materials with enhanced stiffness and wear resistance, while ongoing explorations of multi-component alloy systems aim to expand stability ranges and tailor functional performance. The global significance of quasicrystalline alloys lies in their capacity to deliver sustainable, long-lived solutions in energy, transport and manufacturing sectors through judicious design of composition and processing routes.
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Quasicrystalline Alloy Properties and Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in quasicrystalline alloy properties and applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Quasicrystal: A solid with ordered atomic arrangement lacking periodic translation symmetry, often showing forbidden rotational symmetries.
I-phase: The icosahedral quasicrystalline phase, notable for its 12-fold rotational symmetry and exceptional hardness.
Rapid solidification: A processing technique involving ultra-fast cooling rates (>10^3 K/s) to suppress equilibrium phases and stabilise metastable structures.
Powder metallurgy: A fabrication method where metal powders are compacted and sintered to form bulk materials, enabling uniform distribution of reinforcing phases.
References
- Recent developments on fabrication of Al‐matrix composites reinforced with quasicrystals: From metastable to conventional processing. Journal of Materials Research (2021).
- Strengthening mechanisms in an Al-Fe-Cr-Ti nano-quasicrystalline alloy and composites. Materials Science and Engineering A (2016).
- Self-lubricating, low-friction, wear-resistant Al-based quasicrystalline coatings. Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (2016).
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