Identifying the crystal structure of T 1 precipitates in Al-Li-Cu alloys by ab initio calculations and HAADF-STEM imaging

Controversial experimental reports on the crystal structure of T 1 precipitates in Al-Li-Cu alloys have ex-isted for a long time,and all of them can be classified into five models.To clarify its ground-state atomic structure,herein,we have combined high-throughput first-principles calculations and CALPHAD,as well as aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM experiments.Employing the special quasi-random structure(SQS)and supercell approximation(SPA)methods to simulate the local disorder on Al-Cu sub-lattices,we find that none of the present models can satisfy the phase stability in Al-Li-Cu ternary system based on temperature-dependent convex hull analysis.Using the cluster expansion(CE)formulas,structural predic-tions derived from the five-frame models were performed.Subsequently,by introducing the vibrational contribution to the free energy at aging temperatures,we proposed a novel ground-state T 1 structure that maintains a coherent relationship with Al-matrix at the<112>Al orientation.The underlying phase transition between the variants of T 1 precipitates was further discussed.By means of ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD)simulations,we resolved the controversy regarding the number of atomic layers con-stituting the T 1 phase and acknowledged the existence of Al-Li corrugated layers.The root cause of this structural distortion is triggered by atomic forces and bondings.Our work can have an positive impact on the novel fourth generation of Al-Cu-Li alloy designs by engineering the T 1 strengthening phase.