Transmission electron microscopy observations of the splits of D03 and B2 precipitates in Fe-based alloys

Morphological changes of coherent D03 and B2 precipitates in Fe-based alloys due to ageing just below the precipitation line have been investigated with transmission electron microscopy and energy calculations based on microelasticity theory. We have discovered for the first time that splitting phenomena take place in a system other than of Ni-based alloys under the influence of elastic interaction energy.