Pressure-Induced Phase Transformation of Quasicrystals

X-ray diffraction analysis under high pressure was performed for three icosahedral quasicrystals (Al-Li-Cu, Al-Ru-Cu and Al-Mn). Only the i -phase of an Al-Li-Cu alloy undergoes structural phase transformations: i -phase to an amorphous phase and then to a crystalline phase. The electrical resistance decreases almost to half at each transformation. Peak widths of diffraction lines for the i -Al-Li-Cu becomes broader with increasing pressure, in contrast to those of Al-transition metal systems.