APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRON-ENERGY-LOSS FINE-STRUCTURE TECHNIQUE TO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE AL-AG BINARY-SYSTEM

In this study, Electron Energy Loss Fine Structure (EELFS) spectra wer e recorded over Al K and Ag M-4,M-5 edges for the Al-20% Ag alloy afte r high temperature aging and for pure components of the alloy. Radial distribution functions (RDF) were obtained by Fourier transform and wi th the regularization method. A comparison between the experimental RD Fs and model ones shows the decomposition state of the solid solution. After high temperature aging, the binary alloy becomes an aluminum ma trix with zones enriched with silver atoms. The Al-Al interatomic dist ance in the binary system is equal to that in pure aluminum. Ag-Ag and Ag-Al partial interatomic distances agree well with the distances in the gamma-phase of Ag2Al. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.