TEM Study of Nanocrystalline Ag_xNi_1-x Solid Solutions

Abstract

<jats:p>Research on nanocrystalline materials, a new class of materials with a grain size of less than 20-30 nm in diameter, has flourished in the last decade because of their unique properties and Characteristics. While enormous amounts of nanocrystalline intermetallic alloys have been made by high energy mechanical alloying, little of this research has been carried out to study the formation of alloys of very low solid solubility elements such as Ag and Ni (0.1 at % at 750 °C).Upon quenching atoms in a state of high mobility, they can be “frozen” into unconventional random positions and thermodynamically metastable or unstable phases can be formed. This research was thus undertaken to synthesize nanocrystalline Ag<jats:sub>x</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>1-x</jats:sub> solid solution because fiber composites of this system have been widely used in low-voltage electrical circuits. This paper presents a TEM/AEM investigation of the traditionally immiscible nanocrystalline Ag<jats:sub>x</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>1-x</jats:sub>solids formed by gas evaporation - vapor quenching method.</jats:p>