Nanoprecipitates in single-crystal molybdenum-alloy nanopillars detected by TEM and atom probe tomography

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supported by various chemical analyses techniques as well as atom probe tomography is applied to characterize newly identified nanosized precipitates in Mo-alloy nanopillars that were prepared by directional solidification. It is shown that the α-Mo matrix contains Al-enriched face-centred cubic precipitates which have a 4.12 A lattice parameter, and exhibit a Kurdjumov–Sachs crystallographic orientation relationship with the matrix. Such precipitates could be responsible for the unusual behaviour of the pillars during compression tests.