Spatial periodicities of defect environments in 57Fe3Al studied by Mössbauer powder diffractometry

Mössbauer powder diffractometry was used to study partially-ordered 57Fe3Al. Multiple diffraction patterns were measured at Doppler velocities across all nuclear resonances in the sample. The superlattice diffractions were analyzed to provide data on the long-range order of Fe atoms having different numbers of Al neighbors. Comparing experimental data to calculations showed that Fe atoms having three Al atoms as first-nearest neighbors (1nn) have simple cubic long-range order, similar to that of Fe atoms with four Al 1nn. The simple cubic periodicity of Fe atoms with three Al 1nn was significantly lower than expected for homogeneous antisite disorder, however. Monte-Carlo simulations and transmission electron microscopy suggest that a significant fraction of aperiodic Fe atoms with three Al 1nn are near antiphase domain boundaries.