Crystal structure of intermetallic phase in Fe–20Cr–4Al–0.5Y alloy by convergent beam electron diffraction

The crystal structure and chemical composition of the intermetallic phase in a Fe-20%Cr-4%Al-0.5%Y (wt. %) alloy were investigated by electron microscopy. Convergent beam diffraction studies revealed that the intermetallic phase forms in three different crystal structures that could coexist in a single grain of the phase. The dominant crystal structure was shown to be hexagonal (a = 0.85, c = 0.84 nm) with a space group most likely to be P63/mmc. Within the hexagonal phase, regions of a rhombohedral crystal structure (a = 0.85, c = 1.26 nm) were observed that had grown in without an apparent phase boundary separating the two crystal structures. The third crystal structure was determined to be monoclinic (a = 0.97, b = 0.85, c = 1.07 nm, and beta = 97.3°) and formed by twinning on the {10$\overline 1$1} planes of the hexagonal phase. The chemical compositions of regions with different crystal structures were comparable and the stoichiometry of the intermetallic phase corresponds to (Fe,Cr)17 (Al,Y)2. The relationship of the observed crystal structures to those previously reported is discussed.