Development and Applications of Highly Functional Al-based Materials by Use of Metastable Phases

This paper reviews the features of alloy components, structure and mechanical properties, physical and chemical properties of metastable Al-based alloys developed by use of various liquid or vapor quenching-induced phases such as amorphous, quasicrystalline, nanocrystalline, nanocomposite, supersaturated solid solution and structure gradient phases. As advantages of the metastable Al-based alloys, one can exemplify a high tensile strength of 1500 MPa for amorphous alloys, high elevated temperature strength of 364 MPa at 573 K for nanoquasicrystalline alloys, high strength of 1000 MPa at room temperature and 520 MPa at 473 K for nanocrystalline alloys, relatively high strength of 596 MPa with large elongation of 16% for nanocomposite alloys and high strength of 900 MPa and distinct elongation of 5% for supersaturated fcc-Al solid solution. These highly functional properties, which have not been obtained for conventional crystalline Al-based alloys, have enabled the commercialization of metastable Al-based alloys as structural, machinery and sporting goods materials. Owing to the significant increase of various fundamental properties caused by the essential differences in the structures, the engineering importance of the metastable Al-based alloys is expected to increase steadily in the future low carbon and nature harmonious society.