Surface Decorations of Al-Cu-Fe and Al-Cu-Co Single Quasicrystals

Abstract

We studied surface decorations of faceted icosahedral AlCuFe and decagonal AlCuCo single quasicrystals by the scanning electron microscopy using primary and secondary electrons. Both types of single quasicrystals exhibited decorations on their facets, however the character of the decorations was totally dierent. Three kinds of decorations has been developed. On icosahedral Al60Cu26Fe14 quasicrystals we found three kinds of decorations: cellular, cavity type and fractal-like. There was no evident dierence in chemical composition between the inner dodecahedra and the decorations of all types. Surface decorations found on decagonal Al73.5Cu17.5Co9 quasicrystals formed a kind of irregular dendritic stars on the separate bright islands.