Formation and morphological development of porosity in icosahedral Al–Pd–Mn alloys

Directional solidification and quenching experiments have been conducted to examine the formation and origin of the faceted porosity commonly observed in icosahedral Al–Pd–Mn alloys. Faceted porosity has been previously observed in both Czochralski grown and Bridgman grown single crystals during single-phase solidification of the icosahedral phase. Detailed observations in Bridgman grown single crystals indicate that the distribution and quantity of pores are non-uniformly distributed along the length of the as-grown ingot. This non-uniform distribution suggests that their formation is influenced by both chemical segregation during solidification as well as convection in the liquid. Controlled solidification of this alloy followed by quenching of the solid–liquid interface provides for a time–temperature history of the porosity formation and morphological development as a function of processing conditions.