Deformation behaviour of iron-rich iron-aluminum alloys at low temperatures

The deformation behaviour of binary monocrystalline and polycrystailine Fe-Al alloys with Al contents up to 18 at.% and only low unavoidable impurity contents-in particular less than 100 wt.ppm C-has been studied at room temperature and -100degreesC. The effects of quenching and annealing treatments on the behaviour of as-cast materials were investigated in order to clarify the dependence of strength and ductility on Al content and short-range ordering. It was found that the stress-strain behaviour at low temperatures is controlled primarily by Al solid-solution hardening and quenched-in excess vacancies with only minor effects of short-range ordering. (C) 2003 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.