PREPARATION AND MASS PRODUCTION

The following sections are included:

• Introduction

• Phase Selection

• The Multitude of Approximants

  • Crystals and Approximants in the Al-Cu-Fe-Cr System

  • B2 - Based Approximants in Relation to Quasicrystals

• Phase Diagrams

  • Growth from the Liquid State

  • Equilibrium Phase-Diagram Data

• Phase Transformations

  • Order-Disorder Transitions

  • Phason-Driven Transitions

  • Pressure Induced Transitions

  • Surface Transformations

• Preparation in the Laboratory

  • Out-of-Equilibrium Methods

  • Mono-Domain Samples

  • The Nightmare of Growing a Stable Quasicrystal

  • Sintering

• The Thick Coatings Route

  • Thermal Spraying Versus Magnetron Sputtering Techniques

  • Processing of Atomized Powders

  • Polishing and Surface Preparation

  • Phase Stability of Quasicrystalline Coatings in Agressive Media

• Thin Films and Nanosized Precipitates

  • Multilayers or Vapour Deposited Films

  • New Data from Kinetics of Growth

  • Nanosized Precipitates in Selected Metallic Alloys

• References