In situ study of structural transformations of Mg44Al15Zn41 quasicrystals under heating

Structural transformations under annealing of quasicrystalline Mg44Al15Zn41 below 613 K showed that the quasicrystalline constant aR was increased by about 0.0019 nm. The phase transformation at 613 K from the quasicrystalline structure to the 2/1 cubic approximant is reversible and has a topotactic character. The 2/1 approximant phase formed during this transformation is metastable and decomposes irreversibly above 693 K.