Abstract
The influence of plastic deformation on the formation of nanocrystals in the Al87Ni6Nd7 amorphous alloy was studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. It has been shown that deformation accelerates the crystallization of the amorphous phase and can lead to the formation of smaller nanocrystals compared to heat treatment. The size of nanocrystals and their number depend on the treatment conditions of the amorphous phase: when preliminary deformation is used, the size of nanocrystals formed during annealing is smaller than in an undeformed sample. In samples subjected to preliminary deformation by rolling, a gradient structure is formed: the proportion of nanocrystals decreases with distance from the surface into the depth of the sample. The size of nanocrystals changes slightly with changing distance from the sample surface. The results show that preliminary plastic deformation can be an effective method to obtain a nanocrystalline structure with different fraction and sizes of nanocrystals in the amorphous phase. This is important for the creation of highly functional materials with outstanding physicochemical properties. The results obtained significantly expand the existing understanding of the mechanisms of formation of nanocrystals in the amorphous phase under external influences.