We have studied the effect of leaching treatments on the surface microstructure and chemical composition on the two different twofold surfaces, (10000) and (101̅00), and the tenfold surface (00001) of a decagonal (d-) Al-Ni-Co quasicrystal. A sample exposing the three surfaces was leached with NaOH solution and then studied using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The leaching treatment preferentially removes the Al present in the crystal surface leaving a mixture of transition metal and their associated oxides. The high symmetry, tenfold axis was found to be less resistant to leaching than either of the twofold axes, providing further information regarding the effect of crystallographic direction on leaching kinetic.
Czochralski growth of cm size decagonal AlCoNi single crystals from Al-rich high-temperature solutions is described using native seeds oriented parallel to all symmetrically different crystal directions. Morphological observations allow first hints with respect to anisotropic growth rates. But only classical detachment experiments according to the original idea of Jan Czochralski reveal quantitative results of kinetically limited growth rates. Geometric conditions of wetted plane interfaces as well as aspects of constitutional supercooling affect the detachment experiments. Thus, in only one specific orientation of the decagonal quasicrystal quantitative data for the maximum growth rate could be obtained.
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