Effect of the Composition on the Structure of Cr‐Al‐C Investigated by Combinatorial Thin Film Synthesis and ab Initio Calculations

Abstract

The effect of the chemical composition on the structure of Cr‐Al‐C was studied by combinatorial thin film synthesis. By changing the Cr/C ratio from 1.72 to 3.48 and the Cr/Al ratio from 1.42 to 4.18 the formation of Cr 2 AlC, Cr 2 Al and Cr 23 C 6 phases was observed. Furthermore, based on X‐ray diffraction a single phase Cr 2 AlC composition region is identified in the Cr‐Al‐C phase diagram. Throughout the studied composition range the lattice parameters of Cr 2 AlC were independent of the chemical composition.