Experimental investigation of density, electrical resistivity and DSC of AlNiCoCuZr equiatomic alloy

Abstract

Equiatomic Al–Ni–Co–Cu–Zr alloy was produced by arc melting. Rapidly quenched rods were prepared by suction casting method. Density, electrical resistivity and thermal analysis of the alloy were investigated experimentally. Basing on X-ray diffraction it was shown that the structure of the alloy consists of two competing solid solutions: BCC-ZrNi2Al (Heusler-type phase) and γ-phase Cu9Al4. In addition, pure cooper and Cu3Al, Cu5Zr7Ni5 intermetallic compounds were determined. Rapid quenching of this alloy leads to the formation of solid solutions based on BCC-ZrNi2Al and high-temperature Cu3Al phase. It is shown that the alloy in crystalline state has a linear density change up to solidus temperature. A region of resistivity decrease with increasing temperature is found out for the first time. The melting process goes in a wide temperature range (above 250 K) where 4 thermal reactions were detected. Density and electrical resistivity changes here non-linearly. In liquid state there are no thermal effects in the alloy and temperature dependencies of density and electrical resistivity can be fitted by linear functions.