A commercially produced Al-Cu-Fe-Cr thermal spray cookware coating was char
acterized. Gas-atomized powders with a nominal composition of Al71Cu10Fe8.5
Cr10.5 were apparently used to form the coatings. The coating is very unifo
rm and contains a quasicrystalline icosahedral phase along with a second ph
ase that is either a quasicrystalline decagonal phase or its nearly identic
al crystalline approximant. The phases show evidence of structural imperfec
tion and appear to be in a highly transitional state, which is likely cause
d by the rapid cooling during thermal spraying. A large fraction of unmelte
d particles and microcracks were observed throughout the coating. (C) 2000
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