Rapid solidification of a molten, multicomponent alloy against a
metallic substrate promotes greater microstructural homogeneity and greater
solid solubility of alloying elements than can be achieved by slower-cooling
casting methods. The supersaturated solid solutions produced by rapid
solidification can be subsequently annealed to precipitate, by controlled
phase decomposition, uniform 10-100 nm precipitates or dispersoids. TEM
studies were made of the precipitation of metastable Al3Li(δ’) and
equilibrium AL3H phases and the deformation characteristics of a rapidly
solidified Al-3Li-0.2Ti alloy.
